Ketogenic diet shows superior liver and metabolic benefits in clinical trial

A clinical trial conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine suggests that a ketogenic diet may offer superior metabolic and liver health benefits compared to Mediterranean or low-fat diets, even when total weight loss is identical.

The study, published in Cell Metabolism, involved participants with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. All groups were adjusted to lose approximately 10% of their body weight over four to five months. While all three dietary patterns improved insulin sensitivity and reduced body fat, the ketogenic group showed more significant improvements in specific areas.

Approximately 50% of participants on the ketogenic diet no longer met the medical criteria for prediabetes, compared to 29% in the Mediterranean group and 7% in the low-fat group. Additionally, liver fat levels decreased by an average of 67% in the ketogenic group, outperforming the 45% reduction seen in the other diets. Researchers noted that despite the higher fat intake, participants in the ketogenic group did not see an increase in blood fat or cholesterol levels.