Keto diet cut liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 29, 2026 at 05:00 AM

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Keto diet cut liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

A ketogenic diet reduced liver fat by 67% in adults with obesity and prediabetes, according to a clinical trial published August 27 in Cell Metabolism. The reduction was more than double that seen with Mediterranean or low-fat diets, despite similar weight loss across all three groups.

Key Facts

The ketogenic diet reduced liver fat by 67%, compared with 31% for the Mediterranean diet and 20% for the low-fat diet.
About half of participants on the ketogenic diet no longer met the criteria for prediabetes after four to five months.
The trial enrolled 42 people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
All three diets were adjusted to produce about 10% body weight loss, which took roughly four to five months.

Trial Design

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis enrolled 42 adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. Participants were randomly assigned to a ketogenic diet, a Mediterranean diet, or a low-fat, plant-forward diet. The ketogenic diet supplied 4% of calories from carbohydrates and 73% from fat, while the Mediterranean diet provided 50% carbohydrates and 35% fat. The low-fat diet derived 70% of calories from carbohydrates and 15% from fat. Calorie intake was adjusted for each participant to achieve about 10% body weight loss, a target reached in four to five months.

Metabolic Outcomes

Liver fat fell by 67% on the ketogenic diet, 31% on the Mediterranean diet, and 20% on the low-fat diet. Insulin sensitivity improved across all three diet groups, helping the body control blood sugar more effectively. About half of the ketogenic diet participants no longer met the criteria for prediabetes after the study period. Corresponding author Samuel Klein stated that reducing carbohydrate intake can have important therapeutic effects on metabolism beyond weight loss alone.

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Keto diet cut liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

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Keto diet cut liver fat by 67% in clinical trial

Key Facts

Trial Design

Metabolic Outcomes

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