Lipogenesis
This process of making and storing fat helps the body preserve excess energy, but it increases with chronic overeating, excess sugar, high insulin load and low activity. On keto and LCHF, lipogenesis often falls through lower carbohydrate intake and insulin stimulation, but excess calories from fat can still slow loss of stored fat.
Lipogenesis is the process of making and storing fat. The body uses it to preserve excess energy as triglycerides, mainly in fat tissue and, under unfavorable conditions, in the liver. It is a normal physiological mechanism, not a metabolic mistake. The problem begins when lipogenesis chronically exceeds fat use and oxidation.
Two levels should be separated. Fat tissue can store fatty acids that came from food, and this is part of energy storage. De novo lipogenesis is the synthesis of fatty acids from excess carbohydrate and other substrates, especially in the liver. In humans, this pathway becomes more important with chronic excess sugar, fructose, alcohol, calories and insulin stimulation.
When lipogenesis increases
Lipogenesis increases when energy intake exceeds expenditure and the hormonal environment favors storage. High insulin suppresses fat release from fat tissue and helps nutrients enter cells. Frequent snacking, sweet drinks, desserts, excess fructose, alcohol and inactivity create conditions in which energy storage becomes the default state.
The liver is especially important. When it receives a lot of fructose, alcohol and excess energy, some substrates may be converted into fat, raising triglycerides and contributing to fatty liver. Lipogenesis is therefore connected not only with subcutaneous fat, but also with metabolic risk: insulin resistance, high triglycerides, fatty liver and visceral obesity.
Keto, LCHF and reduced fat storage
Low-carbohydrate eating usually reduces several drivers of lipogenesis: less sugar, fewer frequent insulin peaks, fewer sweet drinks and easier appetite control. In many people, this helps lower triglycerides, liver fat and cravings for snacks. This does not mean lipogenesis switches off completely or that calories stop mattering.
If a person eats far more fat than needed, the body can store incoming energy without needing to synthesize much fat from carbohydrates. The claim that fat cannot be stored on keto is incorrect. Lower insulin may make access to fat stores easier, but excess energy can still slow weight loss and maintain fat mass.
Lipogenesis and lipolysis
Lipogenesis is often contrasted with lipolysis, but both processes are always occurring and change intensity according to food, hormones and activity. After a meal, storage increases. Between meals, during physical activity and with lower insulin, release of fatty acids increases. The important issue is not one moment, but the overall balance over days and weeks.
Fat loss happens not because lipogenesis disappears, but because total fat release and oxidation exceed fat storage. If fatty acids leave fat tissue but are not used for energy, they can be re-esterified and stored again. Muscle activity, energy balance, sleep and hormonal context therefore matter.
What helps reduce excessive lipogenesis
The practical priority is removing constant storage signals: sugar, sweet drinks, frequent snacking, excess alcohol, overeating and chronic sleep deprivation. Adequate protein, resistance training, walking, normal sleep and reduction of visceral fat help shift metabolism away from constant storage toward more flexible energy use.
Useful markers for the context include triglycerides, glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, ALT, AST, GGT, waist circumference and sometimes liver ultrasound. One marker does not directly prove lipogenesis, but together they show whether the body is living in a state of energy surplus and insulin resistance.
Practical interpretation
Lipogenesis is a normal way to store energy, but in the modern diet it often becomes part of chronic overeating and metabolic overload. Low-carbohydrate nutrition can reduce the main drivers, especially sugar and frequent insulin peaks, but it does not remove the importance of portions, activity and sleep.
For keto and LCHF, the goal is not to forbid lipogenesis, but to restore metabolic flexibility. The body should be able to store energy after meals and use it between meals. When storage constantly dominates expenditure, fat tissue, liver fat and metabolic risks rise.
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