Keto diet cuts liver fat by 67% and improves blood sugar, study finds

Key Points:

• A randomized clinical trial found that a ketogenic diet led to a 67% reduction in liver fat and stronger improvements in blood sugar control compared to Mediterranean and very-low-fat diets, despite similar weight loss across all groups.
• The study involved 55 participants with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease, with 42 completing the trial; all groups lost about 10% of their body weight, but the ketogenic group showed greater liver fat reduction and better insulin sensitivity in the liver.
• Half of the ketogenic diet participants no longer met prediabetes criteria after the intervention, outperforming the Mediterranean (29%) and low-fat (7%) groups, and also experienced larger reductions in glucose, insulin, and triglycerides.
• The ketogenic diet, high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, did not increase blood cholesterol or fat levels despite a high saturated fat intake, and no serious adverse events were reported during the approximately 4-5 month study period.
• Researchers noted the trial’s small size and short duration, emphasizing the need for further studies to confirm long-term effects and safety of ketogenic diets in managing fatty liver disease and prediabetes.