Is the keto diet better than the Mediterranean? New clinical trial reveals health benefits

image via New Scientist

August 27, 2026, 3:55 PM

• •A 55-person clinical trial compared a ketogenic diet, a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat plant-focused diet in adults with obesity, prediabetes and fatty liver disease.
• •Participants in all three groups lost about 10 percent of their starting weight and showed improved muscle insulin sensitivity, with similar cholesterol profiles across diets.
• •The keto group showed stronger liver-related benefits, including reduced liver fat, lower triglyceride production and improved liver insulin sensitivity.
• •Half of the participants on the keto diet saw remission of prediabetes, according to the study authors.
• •Researchers and outside experts said the trial was small and short, so longer-term studies are needed to compare durability and risks across diets.

A small clinical trial compared ketogenic, Mediterranean and low-fat plant-focused diets in 55 adults with obesity, prediabetes and fatty liver disease. All three diets produced similar weight loss and improved muscle insulin sensitivity, while cholesterol profiles were broadly similar across groups. The ketogenic diet was associated with larger improvements in liver fat, triglyceride production and liver insulin sensitivity, and half of participants in that group saw prediabetes remission. Researchers and outside experts said the findings are promising but need confirmation in larger and longer studies, especially for long-term outcomes and trade-offs such as body composition changes.

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