Reducing carbohydrate intake is – at least in the short term – a more effective way to reduce liver fat compared to a low-calorie diet, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Their results can be used in the treatment of diabetes, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The latter pathology affects every third American adult – high levels of triglycerides appear in their livers. Typical symptoms are fatigue, malaise, pressure on the right side, digestive problems. Over time, it may develop from diabetes or liver cancer.
The 14-day study was conducted on 18 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Some of them were on a low-calorie diet, the rest – on a low-carbohydrate diet. The low-carb diet for the first 7 days contained less than 20 grams of carbohydrate per day – the equivalent of a small banana or half a cup of egg noodles. For the final 7 days, these were frozen meals from the university kitchen, individually tailored to the needs.
The group on a low-calorie diet ate the same dishes as usual, but in smaller portions, also prepared by the hospital kitchen. Women consumed 1200 calories a day, men 1500 calories a day.
Imaging tests after 14 days showed that the livers of people on a low-carbohydrate diet lost more fat. At the same time, the average weight loss was about 5 kilograms.
The authors of the studies point out that they were short-lived, so it is difficult to say that a low-carbohydrate diet is actually better. In any case, slimming is the best way to degrease the liver (PAP).