Beneficial Effect of Nutraceuticals on Liver Diseases

Nutraceuticals are employed to improve health, offering physiological benefits alongside their nutritional value. Nutraceuticals can support the normal functioning of the human body, prevent certain diseases, and slow down the aging process. The edible nature, absence of adverse effects, and excellent in vivo compatibility have made nutraceuticals an excellent alternative to available marketed dosage forms. Recently, liver disorders have emerged as one of the major issues due to an unhealthy lifestyle. The over-consumption of medicines can also affect the healthy liver. Nutraceuticals can be an alternative and effective option for preventing and managing liver diseases. Several nutraceuticals are reported to be effective against different liver disorders, including hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, etc. The most commonly applied nutraceuticals in the treatment of several liver disorders include silymarin, Omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, liquorice root, vitamin E, berberine, ginseng, beetroot, and probiotics. These nutraceuticals have shown considerable efficacy in the therapy of various liver diseases. The beneficial effects of nutraceuticals can surely encourage their use in the prevention and therapy of hepatic disorders. However, further randomized controlled studies are required to establish the direct effect of nutraceuticals on liver diseases with histological changes. This chapter provides a detailed insight into various liver disorders, including their pathogenesis and diagnosis. Additionally, it describes various nutraceuticals, along with their sources and the beneficial effects they have on several liver diseases.