Low-Carb ‘Keto-Like’ Diets May Double Your Risk

For the purposes of the study, a keto-like diet was defined as a diet low in carbohydrates (25% of calories) and high in fat (45% of calories).

The research team looked at the diets of 305 people who followed this low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, comparing them to 1,200 people who followed a standard diet.

Participants’ health data was obtained from a large biomedical database called UK Biobank.

Follow-up was done for about 11.8 years on average, with adjustments for other heart disease risk factors, such as smoking and hypertension.

When analyzing the data, it was found that people on the LCHF diet had higher levels of three predictors of cardiovascular risk: LDL, cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B.

The study authors further noted that these same people had more than double the risk of blocked arteries, heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease.

They also found that people on an LCHF diet consumed more saturated fat.

According to American Heart Associationeating too much saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke by raising cholesterol.

Samantha Coogandirector of the Didactic Program in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says the results are “concerning, but not surprising.”

“One of the problems (and there are many) with keto is that there are very vague guidelines for how someone might adopt it, and most consider it to be ‘eat the fat type. whatever you want, as long as it’s fatty, with little to no carbs,” she said.

Plus, there’s no real distinction between “bad” fats, like saturated fats, and “good” fats like unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, Coogan said.

She further explained that foods high in saturated fat — like beef, bacon, and butter — are often heavily promoted by proponents of the diet. For example, the creator of the popular “Bulletproof coffee” advocates putting butter in your morning cup of java.

Coogan said keto diets also tend to focus more on weight loss without considering heart health.

“Many true believers have irresponsibly promoted ‘unlimited amounts of bacon,'” she said.

Sharon Palmer, registered dietitian, author and blogger at The plant-based dietitianagreed with Coogan that these results were not surprising.

“Many nutrition experts and doctors have been concerned about this potential since keto diets have grown in popularity, and they have seen cases of cardiovascular events associated with these diets,” she said.

Palmer noted that keto diets tend to be severely limited in whole plant foods, which we know are heart-protective, due to their fiber, mineral, vitamin, and phytochemical content. Additionally, keto diets are often high in saturated fat, which raises cholesterol and clogs arteries.

“It’s a double whammy,” Palmer said. “People limit foods that help protect the heart and eat foods that promote heart disease.”

“A better diet is one that’s good for overall long-term health,” Palmer said, “not a quick weight loss diet that ultimately comes with serious health risks.”

Specifically, it would be a more plant-based diet, she explained.

“Instead of restricting foods like fruits, whole grains and legumes, they should be the center of your plate. Research actually shows that more plant-based diets are linked to healthier body weights, Palmer said.

Coogan further pointed out that keto diets are often unsustainable for people due to severe carbohydrate restriction. She advises people not to deprive themselves of what they crave because it “will get you every time”.

She suggests that people eat regularly throughout the day, which can keep their metabolism from slowing down.

“When we try to starve ourselves for long periods of time, that’s when our metabolism may start to slow down in order to compensate for the uncertainty of when the body will be fed again,” she said.

Another thing she advises is to eat an adequate balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

“Aim for 10-35% of calories from protein (higher end if you train more), 20-30% of calories from fat, and 45-65% of calories from carbs (higher end if you train more). I’m an endurance athlete or trying to bulk up; I’m lower if I try to lean/reduce water weight),” she said.

She added that “carbs are not the enemy.”

“The brain needs a minimum of 130g a day just to function and even more for anything beyond waking up,” she said.