Could probiotics help tame fatty liver?
NCT ID NCT04555434
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested three different probiotics (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus lactis, and Lactobacillus helveticus) in 89 adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Participants took probiotic capsules or a placebo daily for 8 weeks, along with a standard liver supplement. Researchers measured liver function, body changes, and gut bacteria to see if the probiotics improved liver health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Probiotics (Pediococcus pentosaceus KID7, Lactobacillus lactis CKDB001, Lactobacillus helveticus CKDB001)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a simple, safe dietary supplement to help manage fatty liver disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with only 89 participants and an 8-week duration. Results may not apply to everyone, and the effect may be small or temporary.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
-
89 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2020
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 62 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Those who agreed to participate in this study and signed a written consent 2. Adult men and women over 20 3. Patients diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver ※ Exclusion criteria for alcoholic liver disease * Those who have an alcoholic drinking ability of at least 60g per day for at least one year before visiting (30g for women) * 1 bottle of shochu 360 ml \* 20% = 72 g, 1 bottle of beer 500 ml (330 ml for commercial use) \* 5% = 25 (16.5 g) 4. Patients with higher liver numbers than normal ※ Adult normal liver level range by enzyme * AST, ALT: 40 or less * ALP: 20-130 * GOT: 0-30, GPT: 0-38 * GGT: 10-62 (male), 7-35 (female) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Those who have consumed probiotics (lactic acid bacteria, etc.), prebiotics (dietary fiber, fructooligosaccharide, etc.), new biotics, fermented milk, etc. within the past month. 2. Those who have continuously taken antibiotics within the last 2 months or who are likely to take them during the study period 3. Those who have continuously consumed medicines or health functional foods that affect liver function within the past month. 4. Those who have participated in other clinical trials within the past 1 month (but not applicable to medical device clinical trials) 5. If you have any of the following * Alcoholic liver disease, hereditary metabolic disease, autoimmune hepatitis * systemic inflammatory disease or immune disease * Hepatocellular carcinoma * Uncontrolled cardiopulmonary disease * Other serious systemic disorders in the heart, lungs, blood, and endocrine system 6. A person with a history of malignancy diagnosis within the last 5 years 7. Pregnant or lactating women 8. Persons who have hypersensitivity to the test drug / placebo or components contained in the test drug / placebo or have severe allergic reactions 9. Those who are not suitable for the clinical trial because the investigator judges
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital
Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 200-704, South Korea
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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