Keto diet cut liver fat about 67% in small trial of adults with obesity and prediabetes

A ketogenic diet produced larger drops in liver fat than Mediterranean or low-fat eating in a small randomized trial published in Cell Metabolism and covered by Fox News.

Researchers enrolled 42 adults who had obesity, prediabetes and excess liver fat. Participants were assigned to a low-carb ketogenic diet (about 4% of calories from carbohydrates and 73% from fat), a Mediterranean pattern (about 50% carbs, 35% fat) or a low-fat, mostly plant-based plan (about 70% carbs, 15% fat).

Muscle insulin sensitivity improved by about 50% in all three groups. Liver insulin sensitivity improved two to three times as much on keto. Liver fat fell by roughly 67% on keto versus about 45% on the other diets, tied to less new fat made in the liver. About 50% of keto participants no longer met prediabetes criteria by the end, compared with 29% on Mediterranean and 7% on low-fat eating.

The trial was short and had only about 14 people per diet arm, so results cannot be broadly applied. Registered dietitian Ilana Muhlstein told Fox News Digital the study shows calories are not the only factor. She said keto may be a short-term tool for some people with fatty liver or prediabetes, then a shift toward Mediterranean eating for longer-term heart and brain health. High saturated fat and lower fiber remain reasons for caution, especially with family heart disease.