The other things no one tells you before you start a Keto diet.
As a fast and effective method, the Keto diet has exploded in popularity in recent years. On the other hand, Canadian experts are warning that it may increase the danger of cardiovascular events like stroke.
A study suggests that people who follow the Keto diet may be more likely to get heart disease and other dangerous heart conditions.
In recent years, the ultra-low-carb diet has become very popular as a powerful way to lose weight. It is estimated that up to 13 million Americans are now on it.
But, after following 1,500 individuals over a decade, researchers in Canada discovered that the diet may increase levels of “bad” cholesterol.
They found that people who ate a high-fat, low-carb diet were twice as likely as their peers to have heart attacks, strokes, or clogged arteries.
The group reasoned that this was due of the fatty deposits that form in artery walls when bad cholesterol levels are high.
“Among the participants on a low-calorie high-fat [Keto-like] diet,” adds lead author Dr. Lulia Latan, “we found that those with the highest levels of LDL cholesterol were at the highest risk for a cardiovascular event.”
The auther warned people who are thinking about going on an an low-calorie high-fat [Keto-like] diet should know that it “could lead to an increase in their levels of LDL cholesterol.”
Before beginning this diet, people should consult a doctor, according to the lead author.
During the course of the diet, individuals are advised to keep track of their cholesterol levels and take measures to manage other risk factors associated with heart disease or stroke, including diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and smoking.
Although this 12-year research has many strengths, it does have some limitations. For example, individuals were only questioned about their diets once. There was no way to tell whether they had maintained a consistent diet throughout the decades.
The body produces ‘bad’ cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), on its own. But, a diet heavy in saturated and trans fats encourages the body to generate even more LDL.
LDL increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke by helping to build up inflammatory fatty deposits called plaques in the arteries.
It’s one of the two kinds of cholesterol that the body has. The other, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), transports artery-clogging cholesterol back to the liver for removal from the body. Because of this, it is called “good” cholesterol.
On the Keto diet, you get 60–80% of your daily calories from fats, such as cheese, avocado, and fatty fish, and 20–30% from proteins.
Followers avoid eating too much carbohydrate, which includes limiting their intake of sources including bread, rice, and potatoes.
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for physical activity and everyday movement.
But when the body doesn’t get enough carbs, it goes into a state called “ketosis” and starts breaking down fats for energy.
The goal is to tap into resistant fat storage and speed up weight reduction, as well as improve mental clarity; nevertheless, the effectiveness of this strategy is mixed.
In the study, which was headed by academics from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, people who followed the Keto diet were identified by searching the UK Biobank.
After identifying 70,684 individuals with once-collected data on daily calorie consumption and blood cholesterol levels, they discovered 305 participants who followed a “Keto-like” diet.
This was described as consuming more than 45 percent of daily calories from fats and less than 25 percent from carbs.
They were paired with 1,220 people who were considered “standard eaters” and whose diets did not fit this criterion.
The average age of the participants was 54 years old, with almost three-quarters of them being female. They were all regarded as being overweight as well.
Data was evaluated after controlling for diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and obesity.
In the Keto-like diet group, roughly 9.8% of participants had a severe cardiac event throughout the course of the 12-year research.
These include heart attacks, strokes, and an arterial blockage that required stenting surgery, which involves inserting a coil of wire mesh into the artery to support and keep it open.
During the same time period, only 4.3% of people in the group that ate the standard diet had serious heart events.
In the Keto group, the researchers also discovered greater amounts of LDL cholesterol, often known as bad cholesterol, and apolipoprotiein B, a protein that aids in the transport of fat and cholesterol through the body.
One potential flaw in the research is that individuals were only asked about their diets once, so they may not have maintained their healthy eating habits throughout the course of the whole 12-year study.
The research was presented on Sunday at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology and the International Congress of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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