‘Keto-like’ diet may lead to increased risk of heart diseases

A new study has revealed that low-carb, high-fat “keto-like” diet may be associated with higher levels of “bad” cholesterol. It can also double the risk of cardiovascular events such as blocked arteries, heart attacks, and strokes.

: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,” lead study author Dr. Iulia Iatan with 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 news release.

The researchers defined a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet as 45% of total daily calories coming from fat and 25% coming from carbohydrates.

The study was also presented on Sunday at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.

According to scientists, hypercholesterolemia, or high cholesterol, increases a person’s risk of heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular events.

During the study, the researchers found that people on the LCHF diet had higher levels of low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL, cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. Apolipoprotein B is a protein that coats LDL cholesterol proteins and can predict heart disease better than elevated levels of LDL cholesterol can.

The researchers also found that the LCHF diet participants’ total fat intake was higher in saturated fat and had double the consumption of animal sources (33%) compared to those in the control group (16%).

According to health experts, the trendy keto diet which bans carbohydrates to make your body burn fat for fuel, cuts out healthy food such as fruit, beans and legumes, and whole grains. Low-carb diets like keto rely heavily on fats. At least 70 percent of the keto diet will be made up of fat; some say it’s more like 90 percent, according to experts.