Commentary
V. Houttu et al. (Department of Experimental Vascular Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) review the current literature on exercise and the gut microbiome in NAFLD.
The human gut microbiome has been found to influence a multitude of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. In regard to NAFLD, the causal role of the gut microbiome has not been fully established. The mechanisms by which the gut microbiome influences lipid accumulation, inflammatory responses, and occurrence of fibrosis in the liver are a topic of active research. The influence of exercise on gut microbiome composition is also being investigated. In clinical trials, exercise reduced hepatic steatosis independently of weight reduction and may modulate the gut microbiome.
This puts forward the question whether exercise could mediate its beneficial effects on NAFLD via changes in gut microbiome.
