Development of a Novel Asian Mediterranean Diet and Its Acceptability in NAFLD

Overview

The goal of this pre-intervention study is test the acceptability of Asian version of the Mediterranean diet to NAFLD patients. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: 1. Whether Asian version of the Mediterranean diet that retains the nutritional composition and can be developed by mapping the components of the Mediterranean diet and finding substitute ingredients commonly eaten in Southeast Asia. 2. Whether the 4-week menu cycle of newly developed novel Asian Mediterranean diet is acceptable among Singaporean local population. Participants will participate in taste test sessions to find out if the Asian Mediterranean diet meals are acceptable to people with NAFLD.

Numerous studies have shown that Mediterranean diet decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cancer and overall mortality characterized by being low in saturated fats and animal protein, high in antioxidants, fibre and monounsaturated fatty acids, and with an adequate omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid balance. Recent studies have proved that adherence to a Mediterranean diet is beneficial for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as it provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that slows the development of hepatic steatosis. However, adhering to the Mediterranean diet can be difficult for people of Southeast Asian cultural backgrounds to follow, as food items used in traditional Mediterranean diets may not be readily available or frequently used in local cuisines. It is therefore the aim of this study to first map out the nutritional composition of the traditional Mediterranean diet, derive substitute ingredients, and then develop an Asian version of the Mediterranean diet that can be accepted and easily adopted by the Asian population while retaining the beneficial nutritional characteristics. Following this, NAFLD patients will be recruited for the sensory evaluation of the Asian Mediterranean diet. Specifically for this study, the researchers are keen to focus on a clinical condition (i.e. NAFLD) that has been demonstrated to reap positive effects from adopting a Mediterranean diet. As such, this is a pre-intervention study with a focus on development and evaluating its acceptability among NAFLD patients.

Conditions