Wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), also known as ash gourd or winter melon, has a longstanding history in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for supporting liver health and treating metabolic conditions. In traditional Chinese medicine, wax gourd is considered to clear heat and promote diuresis, and it is sometimes recommended for conditions believed to involve "dampness" or "phlegm," which practitioners may associate with fatty liver or metabolic issues. Similarly, Ayurvedic texts describe its use for liver and digestive health.

However, scientific evidence specifically supporting wax gourd's effectiveness for treating fatty liver disease is limited. A handful of animal studies have suggested that extracts of wax gourd may have lipid-lowering and hepatoprotective effects. For example, some rodent studies indicate that wax gourd extract can reduce serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and may attenuate hepatic steatosis in models of diet-induced fatty liver. The proposed mechanisms include antioxidant effects and modulation of lipid metabolism. Nonetheless, these findings are preliminary, and there is a lack of robust human clinical trials directly examining its effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or related liver conditions.

In summary, the use of wax gourd for fatty liver disease is primarily supported by traditional knowledge, with emerging but limited preclinical scientific evidence. Its routine use for fatty liver disease is not yet substantiated by high-quality clinical research.