The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that can induce weight loss and improved glycaemic control, but poses the risk of inducing hyperlipidaemia, elevated liver enzymes and the onset of fatty liver disease. The keto diet does not cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is possible to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with a ketogenic diet, and people with NAFLD may see significant improvements. Talk to your doctor before making the change.
In any case, a low-carbohydrate diet high in exercise at least three times a week can help keep your liver healthy. If you already have a diagnosis of NAFLD and want to know more about how it is progressing, some gastroenterologists are using a special type of ultrasound called FibroScan. It is less invasive than liver biopsy and can be used to determine whether and to what extent fibrosis has occurred. The good news is that a low-carbohydrate or keto diet can lead to a dramatic loss of fat in the liver and can reverse the disease.
The time to start is now, so you can start living your life healthier and better. GuidanceInsulin resistance is a common and almost silent condition in which the body's cells become less able to respond efficiently to the hormone insulin. This causes the pancreas to secrete even more insulin to keep blood sugar stable. Eating "keto" is a popular fad diet, and recently I have even noticed some doctors recommending it.
There is growing evidence, such as from a study by researchers at the USC Keck School of Medicine, that ketogenic diets that severely restrict carbohydrates and replace them primarily with fat appear to be associated with an increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. With so much fat to metabolise, the diet could worsen any existing liver condition. The kidneys help metabolise protein, and McManus says the keto diet may overtax them. The current recommended protein intake averages 46 grams a day for women and 56 grams for men).
) Keto diets are complicated to follow and difficult for most people to maintain because of the limited food choices. Other benefits of the keto diet include reducing triglycerides, abdominal fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome. However, there appear to be no long-term controlled studies showing that keto diets are associated with permanent weight loss. If you want to lose a few pounds, you may be tempted to try popular new approaches such as the keto diet or fasting.
Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates (such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits), the keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. However, if a person following a keto diet gains weight by any means, the fat may be stored preferentially in the liver rather than in fat cells elsewhere. The good news is that a low-carbohydrate or keto diet can lead to dramatic fat loss in the liver and can potentially reverse the disease. More research shows that the keto diet can not only aid weight loss, but can also help prevent fatty liver disease and reverse fatty liver damage.
One of the main problems with the keto diet is that it restricts vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. The keto diet severely restricts all carbohydrates, resulting in a drop in blood sugar levels. And in fact, the keto diet is associated with an increase in bad LDL cholesterol, which is also linked to heart disease. Keto is another fad diet, and there is growing evidence that this diet can harm you in the long run.
This means that high-fat keto diets have a greater and faster impact on liver fat content than just restricting carbohydrates.
