A recent study suggests that people who consume a "keto-like" diet of high-fat and low-carbohydrate foods may be more susceptible to cardiovascular catastrophes including heart attacks and strokes. The study, which was presented over the weekend at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting, examined more than 300 people who said they consumed a diet high in fat and low in carbs, with more than 45% of daily calories coming from fat. Participants on a "keto-like" diet had higher levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and a higher risk of heart disease when compared to the health data of roughly 1,200 people who follow a standard diet, which has a better balance between carbs and fat. The study's lead author, Dr. Iulia Iatan, an attending physician-scientist at the Healthy Heart Program Prevention Clinic, St. Paul's Hospital, and University of British Columbia's Centre for Heart Lung Innovation in Vancouver, Canada, said in a statement that it is one of the first to examine the relationship between this type of dietary pattern and cardiovascular outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, having too much LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol in the body can lead to plaque development on blood vessel walls, which can result in cardiac issues like heart disease and stroke. Limiting foods high in saturated fat, consuming foods high in fiber, and consuming foods low in added sugars and salt are among the CDC's recommendations for decreasing high cholesterol. Low carb diets, such as the keto diet, encourage consuming a lot of fat and few carbohydrates. Keto dieters, for instance, severely reduce their daily intake of carbohydrates to around 10% of their diet, which in some circumstances can be as low as only 20 grams. Meat, eggs, butter, unprocessed cheese, avocados, meat, low-carb vegetables, nuts, and seeds are examples of "keto-friendly" foods. According to Maya Feller, a registered dietitian and nutritionist based in New York City who was not part in the study, a person following the keto diet may consume more than five times the amount of fat daily suggested for the average American. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans should consume fewer than 10% of their daily calories from added sugars and less than 10% of their calories from saturated fats. Iatan advised those adopting a low-carb, high-fat diet to be aware that their LDL cholesterol may rise as a result of the diet.They should speak with a doctor before beginning this food plan, she said. They should endeavor to address additional risk factors for heart disease or stroke, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and smoking, while also having their cholesterol levels monitored while on the diet. The fact that participants self-reported adhering to a low-carb diet, which can be unreliable, was one of the study's shortcomings. Also, the study only kept track of participants for a brief period of time. More research is required because the study only found a correlation, not a cause-and-effect relationship, between raised "bad" cholesterol and a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. We still don't fully understand the inter-individual variations in how people react to this food pattern, according to Iatan. "One of our next steps will be to try to pinpoint specific traits or genetic indicators that can forecast how someone would react to this kind of diet," says the researcher. The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, was created in the 1920s after it was discovered that epileptics would see a dramatic decrease in their seizure activity following fasting. The goal of the diet is to put your body into a condition known as ketosis, which occurs when your body is so depleted of carbohydrates that it begins to burn fat for energy.
Ketosis is also what the body does when fasting.
The greatest method to lose weight without feeling hungry, according to the diet's proponents, is to follow it since it boosts energy. According to some research, eating a "keto-like" diet can aid in weight loss, which improves health benefits like raising "good" cholesterol.According to research presented at the 2019 annual conference of the American College of Cardiology, those who follow low-carb diets are more likely than those who follow moderate-carb diets to experience atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disease.