Keto Diet Linked to Liver Disease and Blood Sugar Issues in Groundbreaking Mouse Study

The ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that has exploded in popularity for its promise of rapid weight loss, is now facing serious scrutiny following a new study from the University of Utah that reveals potentially dangerous long-term metabolic consequences.

“I would urge anyone to talk to a healthcare provider if they’re thinking about going on a ketogenic diet,” warns Molly Gallop, physiologist and lead author of the study, in a statement that should give pause to millions of keto enthusiasts worldwide.

The research, published in Science Advances, tracked mice on four different diets for at least nine months: a standard high-fat Western-style diet, a very-high-fat low-carb keto-style diet, a low-fat high-carb diet, and a low-fat diet matched for protein content with the keto diet. While the keto group did lose significantly more weight than the high-fat control group, the metabolic price they paid was steep.

Male mice on the keto diet developed fatty liver disease and showed clear signs of impaired liver function—hallmarks of metabolic disease that could have serious implications for human health. “One thing that’s very clear is that if you have a really high-fat diet, the lipids have to go somewhere, and they usually end up in the blood and the liver,” explains Amandine Chaix, senior author and physiologist at the University of Utah.

The study revealed that both male and female mice on the keto diet experienced chronically low blood glucose and insulin levels within just two to three months. However, this wasn’t the metabolic success story it might appear to be. Instead, it represented a failure of regulation—the pancreas cells simply weren’t producing enough insulin to maintain proper blood sugar control.

This finding challenges the common assumption that lower insulin and blood sugar levels are always beneficial. The research suggests that in this case, it represents pancreatic stress and dysfunction rather than improved metabolic health.

What makes this study particularly significant is its long-term perspective. “We’ve seen short-term studies and those just looking at weight, but not really any studies looking at what happens over the longer term or with other facets of metabolic health,” Gallop notes. The nine-month duration provides insights that shorter studies simply cannot capture.

The sex-specific effects observed in the study add another layer of complexity. While both sexes showed blood sugar regulation problems, only male mice developed fatty liver disease. The researchers acknowledge they don’t yet fully understand why these sex differences occurred, but they suspect that the overload of fats in the bloodstream is placing excessive stress on pancreatic cells, impairing their ability to produce insulin.

There is a silver lining: when mice were taken off the keto diet, their blood sugar regulation returned to normal, suggesting these metabolic disruptions may be reversible if caught early enough.

Originally developed for epilepsy treatment, the ketogenic diet works by triggering ketosis—a metabolic state where the body burns fat instead of glucose for fuel. This mimics some effects of starvation and was found to reduce seizures, likely due to the low sugar availability affecting brain chemistry.

However, when applied to weight loss and general health, the new evidence suggests the risks may outweigh the benefits. Previous research has already cast doubt on keto’s safety profile, and this study adds compelling evidence that the diet’s metabolic effects may be more harmful than helpful for many people.

The findings serve as a crucial reminder that weight loss alone doesn’t equal improved health, and that extreme dietary interventions should be approached with caution and medical supervision.

Tags: ketogenic diet, keto diet dangers, fatty liver disease, blood sugar regulation, metabolic health, weight loss risks, University of Utah research, ketosis side effects, insulin production problems, diet safety concerns

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