The Effect of the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Pilot Study

The “Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet” (SKMD) has been shown to be an effective and safe way to cure patients suffering from metabolic syndrome (MS). Keeping in mind that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with MS, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential therapeutic properties under free living conditions of the SKMD in patients with MS (following the International Diabetes Federation [IDF] consensus guidelines) and NAFLD (suspected by using a cutoff value of alanine aminotransferase [ALT] levels of >40 U/L and confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography) over a 12-week period. A prospective study was carried out in 14 obese men meeting the inclusion criteria and whose body mass index (BMI) and age were 36.58±0.54 kg/m2 and 41.18±2.28 years, respectively. Statistical differences between the parameters studied before and after administration of the SKMD (week 0 and 12) were analyzed by paired Student's t test (continuous variables) and the χ2 test (discontinuous variables). P<.05 was considered statistically significant. There was an extremely significant (P30 kg/m2. We conclude that the SKMD could be an effective and safe way to treat patients suffering from MS and the associated NAFLD.