How Does a Keto Diet Affect Heart Disease Risk?
Impact of the ketogenic diet as a dietary approach on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HDL (the 'good' cholesterol) also increased
Typically when LDL goes up, HDL doesn't follow. This study found all three cholesterol markers - total, LDL, and HDL - increased together, which is unusual and complicates the picture.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on keto, get full cholesterol panel tested, not just LDL
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HDL (the 'good' cholesterol) also increased
Typically when LDL goes up, HDL doesn't follow. This study found all three cholesterol markers - total, LDL, and HDL - increased together, which is unusual and complicates the picture.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on keto, get full cholesterol panel tested, not just LDL
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
Zixuan Wang, Tu Chen, Sihai Wu, Xuesi Dong, Ming Zhang, Gaoxiang Ma
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating a keto diet (very low-carb, high-fat) seems to raise cholesterol levels in grown-ups by a small but measurable amount - about 0.36 units on average, according to 27 research studies.
When adults follow a ketogenic diet, they tend to lose weight - about 2.5 kg on average compared to other diets, according to research combining 27 studies.
Eating a ketogenic diet (very low carb, high fat) makes the 'bad' cholesterol called LDL go up in adults by about 0.35 mmol/L on average, according to 27 research studies.
Following a ketogenic (keto) diet—very low in carbs and high in fat—appears to lower the amount of fat called triglycerides in people's blood by about 0.2 units, according to research combining results from 27 different experiments.
Following a ketogenic diet may lower blood sugar levels in adults, with research showing an average drop of 0.18 mmol/L compared to other diets.