Keto Diet Cuts Liver Fat More Than Other Diets
In a small trial, adults with fatty liver disease and prediabetes who followed a ketogenic plan saw larger liver fat reductions.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Nutrition
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A small randomized trial found that a ketogenic diet reduced liver fat more than Mediterranean or low-fat plant-forward diets in adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. All three diets produced about 10% body weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity.
Why it matters
Fatty liver disease is common among adults with obesity and prediabetes, and the trial suggests the type of diet may matter for liver fat, not just total weight loss. The study was conducted at Washington University School of Medicine and published in Cell Metabolism.
This randomized trial assigned 42 adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease to ketogenic, Mediterranean, or low-fat plant-forward diets, with researchers supplying all meals. Liver fat fell an average of 67% on the ketogenic diet compared with about 45% on each of the other two diets, though the sample was small.
The players
Washington University School of Medicine
A leading academic medical center known for research in metabolism, obesity, and liver disease, where the study was conducted.
The details
The ketogenic plan provided about 4% of calories from carbohydrates and 73% from fat, while the Mediterranean plan supplied about half of calories from carbohydrates and the low-fat plant-forward plan about 70%. Researchers adjusted calories so each group reached roughly 10% weight loss, and all three groups became more sensitive to insulin. The study also tracked hormones over a 24-hour period.
Timeline
Groups took approximately four to five months to reach roughly 10% weight loss.
Health Landscape
Diet has long been a first-line recommendation for fatty liver disease, but most trials have compared weight loss outcomes rather than diet composition. This study adds evidence that carbohydrate restriction may reduce liver fat more than other common dietary patterns at the same level of weight loss.
Adults with fatty liver disease or prediabetes may find these results worth discussing with their doctor when considering dietary approaches. Because the trial was small and tightly controlled, the findings are best viewed as a starting point for conversation rather than a reason to change eating habits on their own.
The takeaway
Weight loss alone may not tell the whole story for fatty liver, since diet composition appeared to matter in this trial. Anyone with fatty liver disease or prediabetes should talk with a physician before making significant dietary changes.
Further reading
Explore more on Nutrition to see how different eating patterns affect metabolic health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The News International.
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