‘Keto-like’ diet may be linked to increased risk of heart disease and higher levels of bad cholesterol, new study suggests

The ketogenic — or keto — diet has been all the rage in recent years. The high-fat, low-carbohydrate regiment has been touted in bestselling books, hyped up by social media influencers and heavily debated by scientists.

Some four per cent of Canadians are on a keto diet, while 10 per cent are considering it, according to a 2020 Angus Reid survey conducted in partnership with Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

A new study, however, warns that following a “keto-like” diet could be linked to a higher risk of heart disease and elevated levels of bad cholesterol.

Study is one of the first of its kind

“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,” said Dr. Iulia Iatan, the lead author of the study and an attending physician-scientist at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation and the Healthy Heart Program Prevention Clinic, St. Paul’s Hospital.

“To our knowledge, our study is one of the first to examine the association between this type of dietary pattern and cardiovascular outcomes,” she added.

For the study, researchers defined a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHF) 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.”

The diet analyzed in the research was described as “keto-like” because a strict keto diet generally contains fewer carbohydrates and more fat.

People considering a keto-like diet should consult their doctor

Scientists found participants on an LCHF diet had “significantly higher levels” of bad cholesterol and were more than twice at risk of experiencing a major cardiovascular event.

“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,” said Iatan, adding that people looking into a keto diet should consult a health care professional beforehand.

“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,” she said.

More research still needed into relationship between keto diet, heart disease

The findings, however, noted that an LCHF diet doesn’t impact everyone in the same way. While cholesterol levels tend to rise, on average, among people on a keto-like diet, some individuals’ cholesterol levels can stay the same or go down, “depending on several underlying factors,” Iatan said.

The study also noted that it can only conclude an association — and not a causal relationship — between a keto-like diet and an increased risk for major cardiac events because the study was observational.

The next step of the research is to find specific genetic markers or characteristics that can predict how an individual will respond to an LCHF diet, she said.

SHARE: