Two randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that a hypocaloric high-protein diet (30% of energy intake) induces greater reductions in liver fat than a hypocaloric lower-protein diet (10–17% of energy intake), despite similar weight loss between groups.[1][2] However, carbohydrate intake was reduced to accommodate the increase in protein intake in both studies, so it’s unclear how much of the results are attributable to carbohydrate restriction.
Increasing protein intake (whether through high-protein foods or supplementation with essential amino acids) has also been shown to attenuate the increase in liver fat from a hypercaloric diet.[3][4] In addition, a study that had women with obesity supplement with whey protein for 4 weeks observed a significant decrease in liver fat without changes in body weight,[5] but a major limitation of this trial was that it lacked a control group.
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that increasing protein intake could help to reduce liver fat, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to increase confidence in these findings.
References
- ^Mads J Skytte, Amirsalar Samkani, Amy D Petersen, Mads N Thomsen, Arne Astrup, Elizaveta Chabanova, Jan Frystyk, Jens J Holst, Henrik S Thomsen, Sten Madsbad, Thomas M Larsen, Steen B Haugaard, Thure KrarupA carbohydrate-reduced high-protein diet improves HbA 1c and liver fat content in weight stable participants with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trialDiabetologia.(2019 Nov)
- ^Chenchen Xu, Mariya Markova, Nicole Seebeck, Anne Loft, Silke Hornemann, Thomas Gantert, Stefan Kabisch, Kathleen Herz, Jennifer Loske, Mario Ost, Verena Coleman, Frederick Klauschen, Anke Rosenthal, Volker Lange, Jürgen Machann, Susanne Klaus, Tilman Grune, Stephan Herzig, Olga Pivovarova-Ramich, Andreas F H PfeifferHigh-protein diet more effectively reduces hepatic fat than low-protein diet despite lower autophagy and FGF21 levelsLiver Int.(2020 Jul 11)
- ^Theytaz F, Noguchi Y, Egli L, Campos V, Buehler T, Hodson L, Patterson BW, Nishikata N, Kreis R, Mittendorfer B, Fielding B, Boesch C, Tappy LEffects of supplementation with essential amino acids on intrahepatic lipid concentrations during fructose overfeeding in humans.Am J Clin Nutr.(2012-Nov)
- ^Bortolotti M, Kreis R, Debard C, Cariou B, Faeh D, Chetiveaux M, Ith M, Vermathen P, Stefanoni N, Lê KA, Schneiter P, Krempf M, Vidal H, Boesch C, Tappy LHigh protein intake reduces intrahepatocellular lipid deposition in humansAm J Clin Nutr.(2009 Oct)
- ^Bortolotti M, Maiolo E, Corazza M, Van Dijke E, Schneiter P, Boss A, Carrel G, Giusti V, Lê KA, Quo Chong DG, Buehler T, Kreis R, Boesch C, Tappy LEffects of a whey protein supplementation on intrahepatocellular lipids in obese female patientsClin Nutr.(2011 Aug)