How a keto diet helps fix a fatty liver
Effect of a ketogenic diet on hepatic steatosis and hepatic mitochondrial metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Liver insulin sensitivity improved even as blood fatty acid levels rose.
Traditional medical teaching says high NEFA levels cause insulin resistance, but here, the liver became *more* sensitive despite higher NEFA.
Practical Takeaways
Try a short 5–7 day low-carb or keto reset if you have fatty liver or prediabetes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Liver insulin sensitivity improved even as blood fatty acid levels rose.
Traditional medical teaching says high NEFA levels cause insulin resistance, but here, the liver became *more* sensitive despite higher NEFA.
Practical Takeaways
Try a short 5–7 day low-carb or keto reset if you have fatty liver or prediabetes.
Publication
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year
2020
Authors
P. Luukkonen, S. Dufour, Kun Lyu, Xian‐Man Zhang, A. Hakkarainen, T. Lehtimäki, G. Cline, K. Petersen, G. Shulman, H. Yki-Järvinen
Related Content
Claims (6)
Eating too many carbs and calories — especially from sugary or processed foods — is what mainly causes fatty liver, not eating fat. Cutting out carbs or going on a carnivore diet might help reverse it.
Even though fat levels in the blood go up, a super low-carb diet for just 6 days seems to dramatically improve how well the liver responds to insulin in people with fatty liver and extra weight — which goes against what doctors usually expect.
If you're overweight and have fatty liver, going on a keto diet for just 6 days might cut the fat in your liver by over a quarter—even if you barely lose any weight.
If you're overweight and have fatty liver, going on a keto diet for just 6 days might make your liver burn fat for fuel way more—like over 3 times as much—instead of storing it.
If you're overweight and have fatty liver, going on a keto diet for just 6 days might reduce how your liver burns fuel, pushing your body to make more ketones instead.