Low-carbohydrate diet burns more excess liver fat than low-calorie diet, study finds.

Although the study was not designed to determine which diet was more effective for losing weight, the average weight loss for the low-calorie dieters was about 5 pounds after two weeks, while the low-carbohydrate dieters lost about 9½ pounds on average.

The findings are significant because the accumulation of excess fat in the liver — primarily a form of fat called triglycerides — can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. The condition is the most common form of liver disease in Western countries, and its incidence is growing. Dr. Browning has previously shown that NAFLD may affect as many as one-third of U.S. adults. The disease is associated with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity, and it can lead to liver inflammation, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept353744/files/513557.html

Eddie