It Wasn’t the Ketones: What Really Cut Liver Fat in the New Keto Study | Nicola Guess

Visit The Proof website for the full show notes and supporting studies: https://theproof.com/podcast/ Simon's personal supplement stack: https://hub.theproof.com/supplements A new trial from Washington University put people with prediabetes on one of three diets, matched their weight loss, and found that the arm labelled ketogenic reduced liver fat by 67%. For many people, that was taken as evidence that carbohydrates are the main issue. My guest today sees it differently, and her reading starts with the label itself. In her view, the ketone levels were lower than you would expect on a true ketogenic diet, and protein looks like the variable more likely to explain the result. Practising registered dietitian and senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, Dr Nicola Guess, focuses her research on glucose homeostasis, beta-cell function, and how specific dietary components, including amino acids, affect metabolic disease. In this episode we cover: Why this study was mislabelled, and why the ketones were never the mechanism How protein appears to protect the liver even when people are not losing weight The 23% saturated fat problem, and why ApoB still went down What changes once weight loss stops and people move into maintenance Whether liver fat drives insulin resistance or just signals it 35 grams of protein a meal: how Nicola builds the plate in practice Seed oils, fibre, and the claims that will not die 00:00 Fatty Liver Symptoms: 1 in 3 Adults Have It 02:57 Why Most Low-Carb Diet Studies Are Wrong 06:17 Keto vs Mediterranean Diet for Fatty Liver 09:19 Does Fatty Liver Cause Insulin Resistance? 13:28 How Protein Reduces Liver Fat Without Weight Loss 16:56 Why Low Carb Alone Won't Reverse Fatty Liver 22:32 High Protein Low Carb Diet vs Keto Diet 25:00 Best Diet for Fatty Liver: High Protein Mediterranean 27:18 How to Reverse Prediabetes With 10% Weight Loss 29:17 Saturated Fat vs Unsaturated Fat for Liver Health 33:08 Does Keto Raise ApoB and LDL Cholesterol? 43:11 What to Eat for Fatty Liver 46:08 Are Seed Oils Inflammatory? What the Science Says 48:16 Does Fiber Lower Liver Fat and Blood Sugar? To connect with Nicola Guess, visit https://nicolaguess.com or find her on   / dr.nicola.guess   and    / @nicolaguessrd  . Subscribe and stay connected: Found this episode valuable? Subscribe to The Proof on YouTube and hit the notification bell to stay updated. Listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? Follow the show to ensure you never miss an episode. 38TERA 38TERA’s BDR is a clinically dosed gut health supplement for improved digestion, less bloating, better bowel movements and a healthier microbiome. Head to https://38tera.com/?ref=SIMON and use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. 38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. IM8 With 92 nutrients, including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium and Vitamin D, in highly absorbable forms, IM8 Daily Essentials is the perfect all-in-one daily multi-vitamin to ensure you meet your daily micronutrient needs. IM8 is offering an exclusive 10% off your first order with a free welcome kit when you enter the promo code SIMON at checkout on http://im8health.com/. IM8 ships to 27 countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and many regions across Europe, Asia, and South America. Function Health Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health offers a practical way to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. Learn more and join at http://functionhealth.com/simonhill for a $25 credit toward your membership. Only available to those living in the United States. Function Health ships to 48 U.S. states, excluding Rhode Island, Hawai‘i, and Puerto Rico. Eight Sleep Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 6 by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF at https://www.eightsleep.com/eu/theproof/ for up to $200 off. You get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't love it. Eight Sleep ships to the U.S. (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and territories), Canada, Mexico, most of the EU, the U.K., Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. Momentous My go-to supplement brand for protein and creatine is Momentous. Use code THEPROOF for up to 35% off your first order at http://livemomentous.com. Momentous ships to many countries worldwide depending on local import regulations. WHOOP Whoop, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on https://join.whoop.com/us/en/simon/. Whoop ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.