Join the community by signing up to my daily newsletter! Practical health advice, straight to your inbox, every morning.
Is keto really better for your health than the Mediterranean diet, or does the answer depend on what's already going on inside your body? A brand new trial in people with fatty liver disease and prediabetes has reopened the low carb debate, and the results for liver fat and blood sugar were striking.
As a doctor, I look at what this means for weight loss, insulin resistance, cholesterol and long term heart health, and where intermittent fasting fits in.
In this video I explain what a ketogenic diet and a Mediterranean diet actually look like when they're done properly, then go through the new Cell Metabolism study that put them head to head alongside a low fat plant based diet, with weight loss matched across all three groups. Keto cut liver fat by around two thirds and reversed prediabetes in half of those who followed it, so I look carefully at why, including the part protein may have played and the point where the liver stops turning sugar into fat.
I also talk about why the type of carbohydrate counts for far more than the amount, why fibre from beans, oats and whole grains is so valuable, and why the best diet is the one you can still enjoy in fifty years' time. Finally I share how Steph and I eat at home, including the fourteen hour overnight gap, and the thinking behind the recipes in the Long Game Kitchen, launching in November.
In this video you'll learn: -What a proper keto diet and a proper Mediterranean diet look like on the plate -What the new keto versus Mediterranean trial found for liver fat and prediabetes -Three reasons keto came out ahead, and why protein may count for more than expected -Why refined carbohydrate and whole food carbohydrate behave so differently in the body -How a fourteen hour overnight gap gives you some of the benefits of keto -Who should speak to their doctor before cutting carbs or changing meal times
Whether you're trying to lose weight, lower your blood sugar, shrink a fatty liver or simply find a way of eating you can stick to, this video will help you decide what belongs on your plate for the long run.
TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction 01:21 – What a proper keto diet involves 03:47 – What a proper Mediterranean diet involves 07:28 – The new keto versus Mediterranean study 09:49 – Why keto came out ahead this time 11:35 – Why the type of carbohydrate counts 15:23 – The best diet is the one you can stick to 18:49 – The fourteen hour overnight gap 20:59 – Where I land on keto versus Mediterranean
REFERENCES Effect of diet macronutrient content on the cardiometabolic response to weight loss: A randomized clinical trial
Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts
Effect of a ketogenic diet versus Mediterranean diet on glycated hemoglobin in individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: The interventional Keto-Med randomized crossover trial
Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial
An Integrated Understanding of the Rapid Metabolic Benefits of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Hepatic Steatosis in Humans
Isocaloric Diets High in Animal or Plant Protein Reduce Liver Fat and Inflammation in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes
Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Low-carbohydrate versus balanced-carbohydrate diets for reducing weight and cardiovascular risk
Mediterranean diet and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised trials
Disclaimer: This is not personal medical advice and does not override what your doctor says.
