The ketogenic diet that has conquered many VIPs, from Hollywood stars such as Halle Berry and the Kardashians to the famous basketball player LeBron James, could actually be very dangerous for the heart. A study of theUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouverrevealed that this wildly popular diet can double the risk of developing heart disease and other life-threatening cardiovascular conditions. There ketogenic diet provides for recruitment from 60% to 80% of your daily calories from fat and 20% to 30% from protein. Those who follow this diet try to consume as few carbohydrates as possible: for example, they eat little bread, rice and potatoes. Carbohydrates are our body’s main source of energy, but they are practically “forbidden” in this diet. This pushes the body into a state called “ketosis,” where it needs to break down fats for energy. The idea is that tapping into fat stores can speed up weight loss.
The new study, presented at the congress of theAmerican College of Cardiology a New Orleans, however, found that the ketogenic diet can have serious side effects. To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers monitored 1,500 people for over a decade and found that diet can increase levels of “bad” cholesterol, consequently causing a buildup of fatty deposits in the walls of the arteries which can narrow or block them. such as causing a heart attack. “Our bodies produce LDL cholesterol naturally, but eating diets high in saturated and trans fats causes our bodies to produce more,” she explains. Pasquale Perrone Filardi, president of the Italian Society of Cardiology (Sic). “Thus LDL cholesterol contributes to the buildup of fatty deposits known as arterial plaque, which increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. This study – he continues – is certainly interesting, but it is an observational research that has found an association and not a causal relationship. However, the results suggest the importance of consulting a doctor before starting this diet and suggest the need for further studies given the extraordinary popularity of this diet.
In fact, the aim of researchers at the moment is to launch a sort of “alert”. “Our results – underlines Iulia Iatan, who led the study – suggest that people who are considering following a LCHF diet (ketogenic diet, ed) should be aware that doing so could lead to an increase in their LDL cholesterol levels” . Those following this diet should always monitor their cholesterol levels and should be careful to address other risk factors for heart disease or stroke, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and smoking when dieting .
