Hormonal
A 6-week very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) significantly reduces hepatic free fatty acid (FFA) uptake and endogenous glucose production, thereby improving hepatic insulin sensitivity and fractional insulin extraction in obese individuals.
If you have significant liver fat and insulin resistance, a short-term (6-week) very-low-calorie diet (around 550 kcal/day) can rapidly reduce liver fat and improve how your liver handles insulin. This is achieved by reducing the amount of fatty acids your liver takes up. This intervention is intense and should be medically supervised, but it offers a faster metabolic reset than gradual weight loss alone.
Liver free fatty acid uptake was 26% lower after weight loss... endogenous glucose production decreased by 40%... and hepatic insulin resistance by 40%... The liver responds to a 6-wk period of calorie restriction with a parallel reduction in lipid uptake and storage, accompanied by enhancement of hepatic insulin sensitivity and clearance.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial design with objective PET/MRS measurements, though sample size is moderate (n=33) and duration is short (6 weeks).
Source
Effect of Weight Loss on Liver Free Fatty Acid Uptake and Hepatic Insulin Resistance
Antti Viljanen et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2008
DOI 10.1210/jc.2008-1689
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