The Study
Impact of the ketogenic diet as a dietary approach on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
This study is like a science detective that looked at 27 different experiments where people were put on ketogenic diets and compared to other diets. Because it combined lots of experiments with random assignment (like flipping a coin to decide who gets which diet), it can give us pretty good evidence that the diet causes changes in things like cholesterol and weight. But here's the tricky part: all those different experiments didn't agree with each other very well - some showed big changes, some showed small changes. So while we can say the diet probably causes these changes, we're not 100% sure exactly how big the effect is.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Scientists looked at 27 studies with 1,278 people to see how ketogenic diets change risk factors for heart disease.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 548 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Mixed - while keto diet helps lower triglycerides, blood sugar, and weight, it also increases total and LDL cholesterol, which could be concerning for heart health.
- 2Keto diet raised total cholesterol by 0.36 and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 0.35 mmol/L.
- 3It lowered triglycerides by 0.20, blood sugar by 0.18, and weight by 2.59 kg on average.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
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 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.
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.
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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.