Low carbohydrate diet very quickly effective for getting fat out of the liver

KETOGENICGURL

http://www.mymedclinic.info/2015/09/29/low-carbohydrate-diet-very-quickly-effective-for-getting-fat-out-of-the-liver/

In this study, 18 obese adults (average age 45 and average BMI 35) were put on one of two diets for a period of two weeks [2]. These were:

1. their usual diet, but calories were restricted to 1200-1500 calories per day
2. a low carbohydrate diet, limiting carbohydrate to less than 20 g per day, but with no restriction on calorie intake

The study lasted two weeks

Both groups saw significant reductions in the amount of fat in their livers.

However, the reduction was about twice as great in the carbohydrate-restricted group (an average of 55 per cent versus 28 per cent in the calorie-restricted group).

One potential reason for this was the fact that the liver was likely to be producing less fat in response to lowered carbohydrate intake. But, is it possible that the body was ‘burning’ fat more effectively too? It seems so: ‘Fat oxidation’ was found to be higher in the carbohydrate-restricted group.

wabmester

They didn't make it easy to find the actual study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21367948

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ki4eld

Low carbs and restricted calories for 2 weeks is part of the pre-op for bariatric surgery done laparoscopically. Gotta reduce that liver to get a better view of the surgical field. It works. My fatty liver reduced by half in 2 weeks. After 6 months, it reduced by 80%. I never realized how poorly my liver was doing!

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carom

Very interesting! thanks for posting @KETOGENICGURL

nvmomketo

Wow, that's impressive. I knew LCHF helped NAFLD, but I didn't realize it helped so much and so quickly.

TBeverly49

This is probably a dumb question. But if we have a fatty liver and we are using the low carbs to melt that fat away, does the liver absorb the fat we are eating to get rid of the other fat???

GaleHawkins

@Batlady49 I think it is past carbs that can lead to a fatty live. The body has to get the extra glucose out of our blood stream so we can live another day the best way it can. Others can correct me and explain the science.

Dragonwolf

Batlady49 wrote: »

This is probably a dumb question. But if we have a fatty liver and we are using the low carbs to melt that fat away, does the liver absorb the fat we are eating to get rid of the other fat???

The primary source of liver fat is actually fructose. The body can't use fructose directly, so it gets sent to the liver to be converted to fat (triglycerides). If it's not getting used right away, it gets stored preferentially around the liver. Usually, whether you reduce carbohydrates specifically or just reduce calories in general, your total sugar intake goes down, and thus, fructose intake goes down. When you specifically limit carbs, intake goes down often even below that of a regular reduced calorie intake, prompting further benefits of carbohydrate restriction.

Fatty acids, on the other hand, can be used directly by the body. Combine that with the fact that glucose is no longer competing to be used (and will always win out, because glucose levels need to be tightly controlled to prevent toxicity and neurological damage), and the body can handle even an excess of calories better than one a moderate carb and fat diet.

Generally speaking, a low carb diet, because insulin plays a far lesser role, has an appetite suppressing/modulating effect. As a result, you basically eat closer to what would maintain you at your ideal weight, providing a caloric deficit that allows you to lose weight without a lot of conscious effort on the calorie front. There's also the fact that protein and fat take more energy to deal with than carbs, which slightly increases the body's energy needs, and the body can do other things, like increase body temperature and subconscious movement to deal with any excess calories.