Diet Consisting of Balanced Yogurt, Fruit, and Vegetables Modifies the Gut Microbiota and Protects Mice against Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Background: Calorie restriction (CR) is a therapeutically effective method for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the compliance of the CR method is relatively poor. New CR methods are needed.

Methods and results: Each week, mice are given a 5-day high-fat diet (HFD) ad libitum plus 2 days of an intermittent calorie restriction (ICR) diet (50% calorie restriction) consisting of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables, for 16 weeks. The effect of the ICR diet model on the fatty liver of mice is examined. Compared with continuous HFD-fed mice, the mice feeding HFD+ICR have lower body weight and hepatic steatosis, reduced serum lipid and transaminase levels, increased fatty acid oxidation gene of Cpt1a, and decreased hepatic lipid synthesis gene of Pparγ and Srebf-1c, as well as improved insulin resistance and lower level of inflammation. Moreover, ICR reverses the dysbacteriosis in HFD group, including the lower Shannon diversity indexes and lower abundance of Lactobacillus.

Conclusion: An ICR diet consisting of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables attenuates the development of HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Furthermore, HFD+ICR diet is associated with a different fecal microbiota that tends to be more similar to normal diet controls.

Keywords: gut microbiota; high-fat diet; inflammation; intermittent calorie restriction; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.