13 Feb 2023 • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recommended 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity per week. In a recent study, researchers at Penn State College of Medicine revealed that 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise decreases liver fat. Exercise reduces liver fat in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a way that is clinically significant.  The American Journal of Gastroenterology published the results. Nearly 30% of the world's population suffers from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which over time can result in cirrhosis, or liver scarring, and cancer. There is no effective treatment or approved drug for this widespread ailment, but research has shown that exercise can enhance patients' quality of life, physical fitness, and liver fat.As compared to standard clinical care, the team found exercise training was 3.5 times more likely to provide a clinically meaningful treatment response (greater than or equal to 30% relative reduction in MRI-measured liver fat), independent of weight loss. "Clinicians who counsel NAFLD patients can recommend this type of activity. One programme that would fulfill these requirements is brisk walking or light cycling for half an hour five days a week" said Stine, a researcher at the Penn State Cancer Institute.

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