Ketogenic diet more effective at reversing prediabetes, study finds

A randomized clinical study published in Cell Metabolism by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine indicates that a ketogenic diet may be more effective than Mediterranean or plant-based diets for reversing prediabetes and reducing liver fat.

The study involved 42 adults suffering from obesity, prediabetes, and excess liver fat. While all three dietary groups—ketogenic, Mediterranean, and plant-based—achieved approximately a 10% reduction in body weight, the ketogenic group showed superior metabolic improvements. Specifically, 50% of participants in the ketogenic group no longer met the criteria for prediabetes by the end of the study, compared to 29% in the Mediterranean group and 7% in the plant-based group.

Furthermore, the ketogenic diet led to a 67% reduction in liver fat, significantly higher than the 45% reduction observed in both the Mediterranean and plant-based groups. Researchers noted that the ketogenic diet, characterized by high fat (73%) and very low carbohydrate (4%) intake, triggered a significant increase in glucagon, a hormone that assists in removing fat from the liver.