The Claim

In obese adults, a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet resulted in a mean reduction of 39.3 cm² in visceral adipose tissue over two months, which was significantly greater than the 12.5 cm² reduction observed with a standard low-calorie diet.

Source: MRI estimated changes in visceral adipose tissue and liver fat fraction in patients with obesity during a very low-calorie-ketogenic diet compared to a standard low-calorie diet.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
61score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In obese adults, a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet reduced belly fat by 39.3 cm² on average over two months, which was more than the 12.5 cm² reduction seen with a standard low-calorie diet.

See the scientific wording

In obese adults, a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet reduced visceral adipose tissue by a mean of 39.3 cm² over two months, significantly more than the 12.5 cm² reduction seen with a standard low-calorie diet, suggesting a superior effect on central fat distribution.

Why this might work

When the body runs on ketones instead of glucose, it stops making new fat in the belly area and starts breaking down existing belly fat faster, leading to a bigger loss of visceral fat.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: MRI estimated changes in visceral adipose tissue and liver fat fraction in patients with obesity during a very low-calorie-ketogenic diet compared to a standard low-calorie diet.

    In a study of obese adults, people who ate a very low-calorie keto diet lost nearly three times more belly fat than those on a regular low-calorie diet over two months, using precise MRI scans to measure the difference.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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