Vegetable Oil Diet Promotes Liver Health in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

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A new, refined dietary self-management education plan, highlighting vegetable oil, has shown positive results in a faster reduction in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TBIL) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).1

Although unhealthy, fat-heavy diets are well known to lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, they have rarely been investigated in the progression of CHB-induced liver cirrhosis. Despite this, unsaturated fats, such as those from vegetable oils, are associated with significant health benefits, reducing inflammation and influencing organ metabolism. Additionally, it is proven to put less stress on the liver by preventing steatosis.2

This discrepancy led investigators to form a novel personalized care project of dietary self-management restricting oil intake for patients with obesity and CHB, but recommending moderate vegetable oil intake for normal and asthenic patients with CHB.1

“The assessment data revealed that the personalized vegetable oil dietary self-management had contributed to the reduction of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values but did not present the effects on the clearance rate of HBsAg at present,” wrote Yuan-Yuan Wang, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, and colleagues. “These results indicated that an appropriate vegetable oil diet should be beneficial to the CHB patients in the clinic with the promotion of liver recovery during the treatment period.”1

The double-arm randomized observational study, conducted in Nantong, China, compared this refined education plan against traditional dietary education to quantify any potential quality of life improvements. A total of 90 participants were enrolled, all of whom were HBsAg-positive. They were then divided in a 1:1 ratio to either the revised dietary plan or the traditional. Investigators established indices of ALT, AST, and TBIL as the primary endpoint.1

Normal-weight and underweight participants were recommended a moderate fat intake, with fats sourced from vegetable oils such as soybean, flaxseed, olive, and palm. Underweight participants were also advised to consume whole milk to ensure dietary fat intake for metabolic balance. Overweight participants were given the standard intervention of a prescribed low-fat, high-dietary fiber diet. Investigators took their physiological detection results 6 months after enrollment.1

Baseline ALT for the refined and control group was 96.31 +/- 4.15 U/L and 90.34 +/- 4.42 U/L, respectively. Baseline AST was 112.08 +/- 6.63 U/L and 123.54 +/- 6.51 U/L, respectively, and baseline TBIL was 80.22 +/- 3.38 µmol/L and 81.72 +/- 3.01 µmol/L, respectively. Of the patients in the refined group, 5 had diabetes and 3 had hypertension in addition to CHB. In the control group, 3 had diabetes and 2 had hypertension.1

After 6 months, patients in the refined group had an index reduction in ALT, AST, and TBIL to 61.01 (U/L), 75.26 (U/L), and 35.37 (µmol/L) on average, respectively. The control group had an index decrease to 89.03, 109.23, and 58.08 on average. Average exercise values rose from 1615.56 kJ to 1932.31 kJ and from 1437.47 kJ to 1877.58 kJ, respectively. The average value of dietary intake was relatively stable across both groups, changing from 7389.98 kJ to 7700.64 kJ in the refined group and from 7411.11 kJ to 7183.87 kJ in the control group.1

Ultimately, Wang and colleagues noted a substantially larger decrease in ALT, AST, and TBIL indexes after 6 months in the refined group compared to the control group. The team suggests these data indicate the overall benefit of using vegetable oils over animal oils in dietary self-management education.1

“Overall, these results demonstrated that the refined personalized dietary self-management had better efficacy on accelerating the liver recovery in CHB patients, having the potential to be extended in a larger cohort for exploring its worth in clinical care,” Wang and colleagues wrote.1

References
  1. Wang Y, Yao Y, Sun Y, Qian X. Personalized Dietary Self-Management and its Influence on Disease Progression in Chronic Hepatitis B. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2025;2025(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/jnme/5585004
  2. Ravaut G, Légiot A, Bergeron KF, Mounier C. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids in Obesity-Related Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;22(1):330. Published 2020 Dec 30. doi:10.3390/ijms22010330

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