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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
The keto diet just pulled ahead in the diet wars. A clinical trial found that a ketogenic diet reduced liver fat by 67% — far outpacing Mediterranean and low-fat diets, which each cut liver fat by 45%. Even more striking: about half of keto participants with prediabetes no longer met the criteria for the condition after just four to five months.
A new clinical trial published in Cell Metabolism found that a ketogenic diet delivers significantly stronger metabolic benefits than Mediterranean or low-fat diets for people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine enrolled 42 participants and carefully controlled their food intake so that all three groups lost roughly 10% of their body weight over four to five months — making weight loss an equal playing field.
Despite identical weight loss across groups, the keto diet stood out. It drove the largest increases in glucagon (a hormone that helps clear fat from the liver) and the steepest drops in blood insulin — both key drivers of liver fat reduction. Notably, keto participants showed no increase in blood fat or cholesterol levels despite eating the most fat.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: With GLP-1 medications already transforming obesity treatment, this study suggests diet composition — not just calorie restriction — can add meaningful metabolic benefits on top of weight loss, offering clinicians another tool for managing fatty liver disease and prediabetes.
