Explained: How healthy is your keto diet?

Across the world, millions have turned to the trendy keto diet to get in shape. The ketogenic diet – in which healthy fat-rich foods, a moderate amount of protein, and low-carb vegetables are a staple – has become a favourite of nutritionists and dieticians. But new research shows that a ‘keto-like’ low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet may be associated with ‘bad cholesterol’ and increases the chances of blocked arteries, heart attacks, and strokes. Let’s take a closer look: What do we know about the study? The study was conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada. It was presented on Sunday at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and the World Congress of Cardiology, as per Financial Express.

Researchers analysed 305 participants who were compared with the control group – 1,220 individuals on a normal diet.

As per Mint, researchers used the database called UK Biobank – which has the health information of over a half million people. The researchers defined a low in carbohydrates and high in fat diet as consisting of no more than 25 per cent of total daily energy or calories from carbohydrates and more than 45 per cent of total daily calories from fat. CNN quoted the study’s lead author Iulia Iatan, of St. Paul’s Hospital and University of British Columbia’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation in Vancouver, Canada, as saying, “Our study rationale came from the fact that we would see patients in our cardiovascular prevention clinic with severe hypercholesterolemia following this diet.” “This led us to wonder about the relationship between these low-carb, high-fat diets, lipid levels and cardiovascular disease. And so, despite this, there’s limited data on this relationship,” she said. What did research find? “Our study found that regular consumption of a self-reported diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat was associated with increased levels of LDL cholesterol – or ‘bad’ cholesterol –and a higher risk of heart disease,” Iatan said. Compared with participants on a standard diet, those on a keto-like diet had significantly higher levels of both LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B (apoB) – a protein that helps carry fat and cholesterol through the human body. Previous studies have shown that elevated apoB may be a better predictor than elevated LDL cholesterol for risk of cardiovascular disease, Iatan said. Researchers also discovered that those on the LHCF diet had a total fat intake that was higher in saturated fat and more than double the consumption of animal sources (33 per cent) compared to those in the control group (16 per cent), as per Financial Express. “Our findings suggest that people who are considering going on an LCHF diet should be aware that doing so could lead to an increase in their levels of LDL cholesterol,” Iatan said as per Mint. Double risk of major cardio events After about 12 years of follow-up, the team found that people on the keto-like diet had more than two times higher risk of having several major cardiovascular events, such as blockages in the arteries that needed to be opened with stenting procedures, heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. It is also linked with a two-fold heightened risk of cardiovascular events such as chest pain (angina), blocked arteries requiring stenting, heart attacks and strokes, researchers said. In all, 9.8 per cent of participants on the keto-like diet experienced a new cardiac event, compared with 4.3 per cent of those on a standard diet, a doubling of risk for those on the keto-like diet. Iatan cautioned people who are considering going on an LCHF diet. “Before starting this dietary pattern, they should consult a healthcare provider. While on the diet, it is recommended they have their cholesterol levels monitored and should try to address other risk factors for heart disease or stroke, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity and smoking.” However, the researchers noted that their study “can only show an association between the diet and an increased risk for major cardiac events, not a causal relationship,” because it was an observational study, but their findings are worth further study.

Iatan said this is because nearly 1 in 5 Americans are on an LHCF diet, as per Mint.

However, CNN quoted Iatan noted the study’s limitations including measurement errors with regard to self-reporting of diet, the tiny sample size and the subjects being mostly British. Christopher Gardner, a research professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, told CNN, “This study provides an important contribution to the scientific literature, and suggests the harms outweigh the benefits.” Gardner, who has conducted clinical trials on the keto diet, was not involved with the study. Dr David Katz, a lifestyle medicine specialistm told CNN these results are a “reality check’ for those adopting such diets just because they are in vogue.” With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.