Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Fatty Liver Disease

The diets were planned based on current guidelines, manuals, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in recent years on MAFLD \[5-6, 27-28\]. In this diet, carbohydrates constituted 50%-55% of total energy intake, proteins constituted 10%-20%, and fats constituted 25%-35%. The content of the diets was tailored to each patient, considering various factors such as sex, age, and physical activity status.

Patients in the energy + time-restricted diet group followed the same dietary intervention and a 16:8 eating pattern where they were instructed to restrict their energy intake to an 8-h time window and not to consume energy-containing foods or drinks during the remaining 16 h. Participants were allowed to consume energy-free beverages such as water, coffee, and tea during fasting. The timing of the eating window during the day varied according to participants' lifestyles and habits. However, considering the importance of nocturnal fasting, the eating window in all patients started at 10:00-12:00 in the day and ended at 18:00-20:00 in the evening. The energy-restricted diet group did not follow any time restriction in the planning of main meals and snacks.