Ketogenic diet reduces liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

A clinical trial published in Cell Metabolism suggests that a ketogenic diet may be more effective at reducing liver fat than Mediterranean or plant-forward diets, even when total weight loss is comparable.

The study involved adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. Participants were guided to lose approximately 10% of their starting body weight across three different eating patterns:

• A very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (4% carbohydrates, 73% fat). • A Mediterranean diet (50% carbohydrates, 35% fat). • A very-low-fat, plant-forward diet (70% carbohydrates, 15% fat).

While all groups achieved similar weight loss, those on the ketogenic diet experienced an average 67% reduction in liver fat. In contrast, participants on the Mediterranean and plant-forward diets saw liver fat reductions of approximately 45%. The findings indicate that weight loss alone may not account for all metabolic changes observed during dieting.