Therapeutic Potentials of Medicinal Mushrooms for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Review of Current Evidence

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global epidemic that affects a quarter of the population worldwide. Currently, there is no effective drug therapy for NAFLD. Several medicinal mushrooms are proposed to have therapeutic potential for NAFLD because they have low-calorie and high-fiber content and provide benefits such as gut microbiota maintenance and antihyperglycemic, insulin-sensitizing, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This article reviews the current in vitro and in vivo studies of medicinal mushrooms, including fruiting bodies, fermented mycelia and broth, and their extracts in preventing and alleviating NAFLD. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the efficacy of medicinal mushrooms for NAFLD treatment. Well-designed randomized controlled trials with long-term consumption are needed to elucidate the bioactivities of medicinal mushrooms and their products for patients with NAFLD.