The ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here we present evidence that hepatic mitochondrial fluxes and redox state are markedly altered during reversal of NAFLD induced by the ketogenic diet in humans. The good news is that a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet can lead to dramatic fat loss in the liver and can potentially 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 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.
Third, the ketogenic diet has been shown in study after study to reverse insulin resistance and stimulate weight loss in obese people. It maintains a healthy gut microbiome and limits fructose and carbohydrates (the two dietary components that cause fat accumulation in the liver), making it the ideal diet for fatty liver. The ketogenic diet is the opposite of a low-fat diet; in fact, it is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet best known for stimulating weight loss. People on ketogenic diets have been shown to lose and maintain more weight than those on low-fat diets.
This case report discusses the rationale, benefits and risks of a ketogenic diet and encourages increased vigilance and monitoring of patients following a ketogenic diet. Secondly, a whole food ketogenic diet does not contain vegetable oils; instead, liver-friendly fats such as olive oil, coconut oil and butter are prioritised. This means that high-fat ketogenic diets have a greater and faster impact on liver fat content than carbohydrate restriction. The ketogenic diet has also been shown in multiple studies to be more effective than a calorie-restricted diet in reversing type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and hyperlipidaemia.
Ketogenic diets are complicated to follow and difficult for most people to maintain, due to the limited food choices. If you want to lose a few pounds, you may be tempted to try popular new approaches such as the keto diet or fasting. The keto is another fad diet, and there is growing evidence that this diet can be harmful in the long term. One of the main problems with the keto diet is that it restricts vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.
Fortunately, this diet already exists and has been found to be more effective than calorie restriction and low-fat diets. Although many diets that lead to weight loss can improve fatty liver, evidence suggests that low-carbohydrate diets may be more effective than low-fat diets.
