Preventative Treatments of Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a long-term metabolic disease that is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of mortality in the United States and ninth leading cause worldwide. Recognized as a global health problem, diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that involves multiple organ systems and can often lead to irreversible damage. Long term complications include neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, and hepatopathy. Diabetes is associated with a wide spectrum of liver diseases; the most common is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to liver failure. Sedentary lifestyles in industrialized countries are often seen as the inadvertent cause of increasing obesity and diabetes despite the thoroughly researched treatment plans available. In this study, I will examine the role of lifestyle and dietary modifications (including plant-based diet) in controlling diabetes and diabetes related complications, specifically non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.