Polyphenols
are a group of micronutrients widely existing in plant
foods including fruits, vegetables, and teas that can improve nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this review, the existing knowledge
of dietary polyphenols for the development of NAFLD regulated by intestinal
microecology is discussed. Polyphenols can influence the vagal afferent
pathway in the central and enteric nervous system to control NAFLD
via gut–brain–liver cross-talk. The possible mechanisms
involve in the alteration of microbial community structure, effects
of gut metabolites (short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs),
endogenous ethanol (EnEth)), and stimulation of gut-derived hormones
(ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1),
and leptin) based on the targets excavated from the gut–brain–liver
axis. Consequently, the communication among the intestine, brain,
and liver paves the way for new approaches to understand the underlying
roles and mechanisms of dietary polyphenols in NAFLD pathology.