The Claim

Among adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, a 12-week ketogenic diet is associated with greater improvements in visceral fat grade and waist-to-height ratio compared to a calorie-restricted diet, with Cohen’s d values of 1.07 and 0.44 respectively.

Source: The effects of ketogenic diet and calorie-restricted diet on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a retrospective study

What the research says

Supports is higher

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

Supports
56score
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.

Correlation
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, a 12-week ketogenic diet results in larger reductions in visceral fat and waist-to-height ratio than a calorie-restricted diet.

See the scientific wording

Among adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, a 12-week ketogenic diet is associated with greater improvements in visceral fat grade and waist-to-height ratio compared to a calorie-restricted diet, with Cohen’s d values of 1.07 and 0.44 respectively, suggesting a preferential effect on central adiposity.

Why this might work

When carbohydrates are drastically reduced, insulin levels drop, which stops the liver from making new fat and causes the body to burn stored fat for energy. This burns fat around the organs first, shrinking the waist, and also forces the liver to use its own fat stores for fuel, clearing out liver fat. The fat burned releases molecules that further reduce inflammation and improve how the liver handles fat.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: The effects of ketogenic diet and calorie-restricted diet on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a retrospective study

    People with fatty liver who ate a low-carb keto diet for 12 weeks lost more fat around their organs and had a smaller waist relative to their height than those on a regular calorie-restricted diet, according to this study.

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

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