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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide. NAFLD starts with hepatic lipid accumulation, which may cause inflammation and ultimately lead to fibrosis in the liver. Studies have shown that intestinal microorganisms and a variety of bioactive substances produced by them interact with host hepatocytes through the portal vein, resulting in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. The bidirectional communication between the intestinal tract and the liver is called the gut-liver axis. In this paper, the mechanism of the occurrence and development of NAFLD mediated by the gut-liver axis is elaborated from the perspectives of intestinal microbial composition, intestinal barrier function, intestinal microbial components and intestinal microbial metabolites, as well as the role of nutritional intervention in ameliorating NAFLD by targeting the gut-liver axis. This article reviews the existing knowledge on the mechanisms of the complex interaction between intestinal disorders and NAFLD in order to provide nutritional strategies for the prevention and improvement of NAFLD.