2.1. Study design
In the present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 44 people diagnosed with NAFLD aged 20-60 years participated. Exclusion criteria were: Pregnant and lactating patients, those with liver transplantation, smokers, alcohol drinkers and drug users, patients taking medications such as corticosteroids, amiodarone, tamoxifen, methotrexate, those with rapid weight loss and diabetes mellitus, heart failure, renal diseases, hereditary hemochromatosis and Wilson, positive hepatitis C virus infection, and autoimmune hepatitis were excluded from the study.
The target population selected from all adult men and women with non-alcoholic fatty liver referred to gastrointestinal clinic of Golestan hospital in Ahvaz. . This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (IR.AJUMS.REC.1395.695 ) and was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (IRCT ID: IRCT2017012232109N1). The study goals and protocol were described to the patient and written informed consent was taken before participating in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups by block randomization. Patients and researchers were blinded during the study. The subjects received    NS oil (intervention group) or Paraffin Oil (placebo group) for 8 weeks. NS oil and paraffin oil soft gel purchased Barij Essence Company of Kashan. The placebo group received 1gr of paraffin oil soft gel and the intervention group received 1gr of NS oil soft gel for 8 weeks. Each group received the medication prescribed by the physician. Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, waist and hip circumference were obtained and three days food record was recorded at the beginning and the last week of the study. Dietary intake was analyzed by Nutritionist IV software, modified for Iranian foods.