A low-carb and high-fat (LCHF) keto diet was linked with higher levels of bad cholesterol and increased risk of blocked arteries, heart attacks, and strokes in a 2023 study done by researchers at the University of British Columbia.
“Our study found that regular consumption of a self-reported diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat was associated with increased levels of LDL cholesterol, or ‘bad’ cholesterol, and a higher risk of heart disease,” shared Dr. Iulia Iatan, lead author and physician-scientist at UBC’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation and the Healthy Heart Program Prevention Clinic at Providence Health Care’s St. Paul’s Hospital. However, the researchers also found that the participants on the LCHF diet were consuming higher amounts of saturated fat, which has been linked with heart disease and stroke risk.
According to Dr. Neel Chokshi, associate professor of clinical medicine and medical director of the Sports Cardiology and Fitness Program at Penn Medicine, consuming the wrong kind of fat can happen with low-carb diets like the keto diet. The keto plan advocates for as much as 90% of your daily calories coming from fat. This sudden increase in fats in your system can result in increased levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides (at least in the short term) and ketosis, a state in which your body breaks down fat, in the absence of sufficient carbs, into ketones for energy. An elevated heart rate is another side effect of ketosis. Science has yet to fully understand the long-term effects of ketosis.
