Ketogenic diets have experienced explosive growth since their debut. These plans restrict carbohydrates while encouraging people to load up on healthy fats instead.
But is keto dieting heart healthy? One study demonstrated that one year of keto dieting improved most cardiovascular disease risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes.
It’s not fat that clogs your arteries
One common critique of keto dieting is that it contains too much fat, which will clog arteries and increase heart disease risk. But it’s important to remember that not all fat contributes to atherosclerosis–specifically saturated and trans fats–can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke, while healthier options like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may actually benefit heart health.
The ketogenic diet has quickly gained in popularity over time and has been linked to numerous health benefits, including weight loss and improved blood sugar levels. Many cardiologists remain wary of it though.
As the keto diet is high in fats, which may contribute to elevated cholesterol and heart disease, eating a balanced diet containing unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and fish/poultry that contain omega-3 is one way to keep your heart healthy.
As with any diet, beginning the keto diet can result in an initial surge of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood), as your metabolism transitions away from using carbs as its primary energy source and towards burning fat instead. This is entirely normal and should generally level off within several weeks or months.
Another potential drawback to the keto diet is that it may be difficult to adhere to long-term. Due to its restrictive nature and limited food options available on it, many who attempt to follow the diet eventually find that once they stop adhering to it any weight they had lost has quickly come back on.
Before trying the keto diet, consult with a cardiologist or registered dietitian first. They can help determine whether this approach is suitable for you and provide guidance for how to make lasting, heart-healthy changes that won’t just disappear!
Overall, keto diet shows promising short-term results but more research needs to be conducted into its long-term effect on cardiovascular health. If you already have heart disease or are at risk for it, speaking to a physician or registered dietitian about developing a healthier eating plan to reach your weight goal while simultaneously improving heart health may help manage it more efficiently; similarly if managing heart failure requires changing up diet routinely or altering it completely could prove effective in managing it more successfully.
It’s not the type of fat
How a keto diet impacts heart health depends in part on what kind of fats it includes. Historically, many people followed low-carbohydrate diets high in saturated fats which were linked with an increased risk of heart disease. Now people prefer high-fat, low-carb diets such as keto that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids deemed healthier alternatives.
Keto dieters can produce energy more efficiently. Through ketosis, their bodies break down fats into energy to fuel brain and other cell processes; making keto dieters incredible energy users; one study found they burned nearly double as much per day than those eating conventional American diets.
Apart from consuming more fats, one key difference between keto diet and other diets is that keto restricts carbs consumption. People on a keto diet consume no more than 30 grams per day of carbohydrates; vegetables too must only be eaten in moderation due to their high carb content; this excludes many nutritious foods like leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower and broccoli from consideration.
As well as restricting carbohydrates, the keto diet also encourages people to increase their protein consumption for heart health; protein can reduce triglycerides while raising HDL levels–two key contributors in atherosclerotic plaque formation.
Some keto diet participants report experiencing an increase in LDL cholesterol due to an increase in saturated fat intake, leading to an increase in triglycerides and LDL levels. But this should not necessarily be seen as bad news; higher LDL levels indicate inflammation – something an inflammation-reducer diet can help mitigate.
At its core, keto has potential to improve heart health in many ways. It may help lower blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol, while aiding weight loss. To stay on the right side of risk factors for heart disease however, biomarker testing should be regularly performed under supervision from healthcare professionals.
As with any diet change, it is wise to seek medical advice prior to undertaking the keto diet. In particular, speaking to your cardiologist regarding its benefits and risks could be particularly helpful, particularly if your family history includes cardiovascular issues or if you currently take medications for one. A physician can suggest safe levels of carb restriction and provide insight on which fat sources to focus on for maximum benefit.
It’s not the amount of fat
The keto diet has quickly become a popular way of losing weight and improving health, though some critics remain. Jillian Michaels has lambasted it while some experts have raised concerns over its impact on heart health. Still, dietician Susan Ryskamp’s clients have found success with it by following Susan Ryskamp’s ratio of fat to protein to carbohydrates as well as eating an abundance of vegetables and fruit.
A keto diet involves restricting carbs to 30 grams a day, meaning that most of your calories must come from proteins and fats. This allows your blood sugar to remain at its optimal levels, encouraging your liver to start burning fat as fuel for ketones production, which in turn lowers your cholesterol levels – an advantage to your heart health!
Some individuals experience a temporary increase in LDL-C and triglyceride levels when first starting the keto diet, though this usually levels off within weeks or months. A subset of people also report experiencing an increase in “bad” LDL cholesterol, which may increase risk factors for atrial fibrillation.
To combat inflammation levels, add healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and seeds, olives, fatty fish, eggs and low-fat dairy to your diet. These provide omega 3 and 6 fats which may help lower inflammation. You could also include leafy greens such as cauliflower, broccoli brussel sprouts and mushrooms to your daily meal plan.
Chia seeds, high in fiber, calcium and iron content and one of few complete protein sources with all essential amino acids – can make an excellent addition to yogurt, salads or roasted vegetables as a topping or mixed into smoothies, soups or energy bites for an energy boost!
No matter the type and amount of fats in your diet, it’s essential to remember there are many other elements which could contribute to heart disease. Inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history, smoking and stress all increase risk factors for heart disease; your diet could have an influence on all these risk factors; therefore it’s key to lower inflammation levels with reduced blood sugar consumption, increase fiber consumption and get regular physical activity as part of a comprehensive wellness plan.
Check your bloodwork regularly; diet changes can have a dramatic impact on all these numbers, so any improvements should be celebrated as positive signs. Just beware of yo-yo dieting which can lead to fluctuations in your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.