Keto diet cut liver fat by 67% in a clinical trial

A very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, may offer greater metabolic benefits for individuals with obesity and prediabetes compared to a Mediterranean or low-fat diet, according to a clinical trial published in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism on August 27. The study, conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, involved 42 participants with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease.

The participants were randomly assigned to follow one of three diets: ketogenic, Mediterranean, or low-fat, plant-forward, for four to five months.

Upon completion of the trial, an estimated 50% of the participants following the ketogenic diet no longer met the criteria for prediabetes, compared to 29% of those on the Mediterranean diet and 7% on the plant-forward diet. The ketogenic diet resulted in a 67% reduction in liver fat, compared to a 45% reduction in both the Mediterranean and plant-forward groups. This suggests that reducing carbohydrate intake can have therapeutic effects on metabolism beyond just weight loss.

Despite consuming a diet higher in fat, including saturated fat, participants in the ketogenic group did not experience an increase in blood fat or cholesterol levels. This finding contradicts previous concerns that high-fat diets may negatively impact cardiovascular health. The researchers also observed that the ketogenic diet led to significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, helping the body control blood sugar more effectively.