Potatoes, pasta, and other carb-heavy foods are not only delicious, but are also a staple in the American diet.
However, many Americans nationwide are finding great success in their weight loss by cutting down on their carb intake. And, as a recent study suggests, this could be doing more for their health than just cutting calories.
After watching study participants consume a carb-restriction diet for just two weeks, researchers have already seen a reduction of liver fat in the subjects, as well as other signs of cardiometabolic health.
All 10 participants in the study were obese, and had Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
For 14 straight days, they ate a diet with carb restrictions, but with extra protein. The diet was also isocaloric, meaning the same amounts of fats, proteins, and carbs were eaten every day.
After the 14 days, the researchers saw “dramatic reductions” in the participants’ amount of liver fat.
According to Medical News Today, “The researchers also found that carbohydrate restriction led to a decrease in inflammatory markers, particularly interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha — higher levels of which have been linked to greater NAFLD severity.”
In addition, the researchers saw that this new diet brought beneficial changes to gut microbiota, which brought about in an increase in folate. These factors connect to improvements made in the participants’ liver fat metabolism.
The researchers recognize that a low-carb diet may not benefit all people with NAFLD. However, these results are very promising in helping sufferers of this disease get healthier.
