Branched chain amino acids and carbohydrate restriction exacerbate ketogenesis and hepatic mitochondrial oxidative dysfunction during NAFLD

When carbohydrate intake is low, the liver breaks down fatty acids to produce ketone bodies.

When mice with fatty liver disease eat a special high-fat, low-carb diet with certain protein building blocks for a long time, it seems to make their liver problems worse by increasing signs of damage, scar tissue buildup, and fat storage, especially when they haven't eaten for a while.

In mice with fatty liver disease, a special diet with certain nutrients and less carbs seems to boost the liver's ability to make ketones, which are energy molecules. This diet made ketone production about 50-100% higher than just a high-fat diet.

When mice with fatty liver disease eat a special low-carb diet with certain amino acids, their livers make 30-50% less new fat compared to mice eating high-fat food.

In sick mice with fatty livers, a special diet with certain nutrients and less carbs helps their livers make more energy-boosting ketones—about 50-100% more than other high-fat diets—which might mean their cells are working better.

When mice with fatty liver disease eat a special high-fat, low-carb diet with certain amino acids, their energy-producing parts in cells change to make more energy molecules, which might help their liver work better.