Published: 11:10 BST, 28 August 2026 | Updated: 17:14 BST, 28 August 2026
A low-carb diet is more effective than the much-hailed Mediterranean diet for fighting type 2 diabetes, scientists have found.
The eating style, popular with celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow, also outperformed a low-fat diet for beating the chronic disease.
Low-carb diets were also found to lower the risk of fatty liver disease – a condition that's risen five-fold in a decade and is thought to be widely underdiagnosed.
However, experts from Washington University School of Medicine found that all three diet styles resulted in the same amount of weight loss.
Still, the scientists say a low-carb diet could be a simple and highly effective way for those with prediabetes to reverse their condition.
Prediabetes – which affects up to 6.3 million people in the UK – is a precursor to type 2 diabetes in which blood sugar levels rise, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and fatty liver.
Half of those with prediabetes following a low-carb diet no longer met the criteria for the condition after just five months, according to the new study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
This was true for just a third of those following a Mediterranean diet, and only seven per cent of people in a low-fat group.
Keto diets work by forcing the body to switch its main fuel source from carbohydrates to fat
Speaking of the findings, Dr Samuel Klein, the study's lead author, said: 'If you have prediabetes, reducing carbohydrate intake can have important effects on metabolism beyond just weight loss alone.'
Low-carb diets, also known as ketogenic diets, have previously been studied for their potential benefits in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The regime can result in significant weight loss and better blood sugar control, although some people also experience a rise in cholesterol, due to the diet's high fat content.
Around one in three adults in England are now living with obesity, a key driver of type two diabetes.
Low carb, low fat and Mediterranean diets are often recommended by healthcare providers to those who need to lose weight for their health.
