In general, the keto diet is a low-carb, moderate-protein, and fat-rich diet. This lack of carbohydrates puts the body into the ketosis state, in which energy is derived for the body from the breakdown of fats.
In spite of some promising benefits, including losing weight drastically, you may be confused about the benefits of a diet that is 70% fat.
In this article, we will discuss some facts and risks of the keto diet on our heart health.
Heart healthy benefits of a keto diet
There is a connection between heart disease and diabetes. Many times diabetic people are more likely to suffer strokes or heart problems as compared to non-diabetic people.
Heart suffering may be because of inflammation and many times the cause of inflammation is high blood sugar levels. The keto diet helps to lower blood sugar levels and improves anti-inflammatory insulin function, thus helping to improve heart conditions.
By controlling blood sugar levels, the keto diet improves HDL cholesterol levels and reverses type 2 diabetes. Both factors help improve heart health and lower the risk of heart disease.
We can say that ketones byproducts formed because of a ketogenic diet are beneficial as they reduce inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and thus help heart health.
However, that doesn’t mean you jump to conclusions. The keto diet effectively lowers blood sugar levels and reduces the need for diabetes medicines. But a diabetic person must consult his health expert before embarking on this keto diet to avoid the risk of dangerously low blood sugar levels.
A keto diet lowers triglyceride levels, a fat in the blood that may elevate the risk of stroke, heart disease, and pancreatitis. Though the keto diet is associated with raising HDL, a lipoprotein commonly known as good cholesterol, it decreases heart disease. Conversely, it is also related to increased levels of LDL, also known as bad cholesterol, which, when present at a high level, can increase cardiovascular disease.
One last note:
The keto diet can have some promising effects on weight loss, blood sugar management, and control of triglyceride levels, and HDL levels. There have been many studies showing that the keto diet increases LDL levels when a person consumes a lot of trans fats and saturated fats. As a result, processed foods rich in trans fats and saturated fats should be minimized to prevent heart disease.