Yin HY, You QH, Zhang WJ, Ji G, Dang YQ. High-protein diets and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A double-edged sword in liver health. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(6): 113804 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i6.113804]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yan-Qi Dang, PhD, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fenglin Road Sub-District, Shanghai 200032, China. dangyanqi9022@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Food Science & Technology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2026; 32(6): 113804 Published online Feb 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i6.113804
High-protein diets and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A double-edged sword in liver health
Hong-Yuan Yin, Qian-Hui You, Wei-Jie Zhang, Guang Ji, Yan-Qi Dang
Hong-Yuan Yin, Guang Ji, Yan-Qi Dang, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
Qian-Hui You, Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China
Wei-Jie Zhang, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
Co-first authors: Hong-Yuan Yin and Qian-Hui You.
Co-corresponding authors: Guang Ji and Yan-Qi Dang.
Author contributions: Yin HY and You QH contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; You QH validated and visualized the manuscript; Yin HY wrote and visualized the original draft; Ji G and Dang YQ contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors; Dang YQ designed and revised the original draft; Ji G designed and edited the manuscript; Zhang WJ validated and revised the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82320108022.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yan-Qi Dang, PhD, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fenglin Road Sub-District, Shanghai 200032, China. dangyanqi9022@126.com
Received: September 4, 2025 Revised: October 27, 2025 Accepted: December 9, 2025 Published online: February 14, 2026 Processing time: 151 Days and 22.8 Hours
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is among the most prevalent chronic liver conditions globally and is closely linked with a range of metabolic disorders. Recently, the high-protein diet (HPD) has garnered attention for its potential benefits in weight management and metabolic health; however, its impact on MASLD remains a subject of debate. This article provided a systematic review of epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and foundational research concerning the role of HPD in MASLD. It examined the mechanisms by which HPD influences liver metabolism, inflammatory responses, and gut microbiota in patients with MASLD and assessed their clinical efficacy. The review revealed that HPD exerts dual effects on MASLD, contingent upon the protein source and consumption levels, and plant-based proteins conferred metabolic advantages. Therefore, it is advised that patients with MASLD prioritize plant-based proteins while moderating animal protein intake. Future research should aim to elucidate the mechanisms underlying HPDs and deploy personalized nutrition approaches that integrate genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and microbiome profiles to predict individual responsiveness to specific protein sources, thereby enabling precision dietary algorithms for MASLD prevention and treatment.
Core Tip: High-protein diets have dual effects on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, depending on protein source and amount. Plant-based proteins may benefit liver metabolism, inflammation, and gut microbiota, whereas excessive animal proteins could worsen outcomes. Patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease should favor plant proteins and limit animal proteins; personalized dietary strategies require further mechanistic research.
