Keto Diet’s Hidden Costs: Weight Loss Comes at a Metabolic Price, New Study Finds
By Dr. Michael Lee, World-Today-News.com – january 26,2025
(World-Today-News.com) – From avocado toast “bread” made of fried cheese to zucchini noodles swimming in butter-bacon sauce, the ketogenic, or “keto,” diet has exploded in popularity thanks to social media and promises of rapid weight loss. But a new study from the University of Utah and the Utah Diabetes and Metabolism research Center reveals a potentially troubling downside: while keto may help with weight management, it can significantly impair metabolic health, leading to issues like glucose intolerance.
The research,published this week in Science Advances,challenges the narrative surrounding the long-term health benefits of this high-fat,low-carbohydrate regimen. scientists found that prolonged adherence to a ketogenic diet can trigger metabolic disturbances, even as it appears to control weight.
[Image of mice tissue samples showing effects of keto diet. Caption: Representative images from males (top) and females (bottom) on diet for 28 and 33 weeks, respectively. Scale bars,20 μm. Credit: Molly R. Gallop]
The study meticulously tracked the effects of different diets on mice over extended periods - up to 36 weeks for males and 44 weeks for females.Researchers divided the animals into four groups: a ketogenic diet (KD) consisting of 90% fat, a high-fat diet (HFD) with 60% fat, a low-fat diet (LFD), and a low-fat moderate protein diet (LFMP). All groups had ad libitum access to food, meaning they could eat as much as they wanted.
the results were stark. While the ketogenic diet did indeed support weight control, it came with significant metabolic consequences.Specifically, the study found that male mice on the KD exhibited elevated blood cholesterol levels and developed fatty liver disease.
“The diet forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis,” explains the study’s lead author. “This happens when the body, deprived of carbohydrates, begins to burn fat for fuel, producing ketone bodies. While this leads to weight loss, it’s not without potential repercussions.”
The findings raise importent questions about the long-term sustainability and health implications of the keto diet, particularly as its popularity continues to soar. While short-term weight loss may be appealing, the study suggests that the metabolic trade-offs could outweigh the benefits. Further research is needed to determine if these findings translate to humans, but the results serve as a crucial warning about the potential hidden costs of this trendy diet.
Keywords: Keto Diet, Ketogenic Diet, Weight Loss, Metabolic Health, Glucose Intolerance, Fatty Liver, Cholesterol, Diet, Nutrition, science Advances, University of Utah, Diabetes Research.
