Ketogenic Diet and Cardiovascular Disease: Any Risks?

Nowadays, various diet types have emerged with the need of losing weight or just to keep a healthy lifestyle. However, it is important to inform yourself well enough to find the best diet that caters for your needs and purposes. The ketogenic diet has been very popular among those who want to lose weight or adjust their health status.

This diet is performed by lowering the carbohydrate intake while enhancing the fat and moderating the protein consumption. As a result, the body is forced to burn fat and proteins instead of carbohydrates to produce energy. Although the ketogenic diet has shown many positive results, relations between the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease have been analyzed by researchers and experts to make clear if any risks are available.

Does the Keto Diet Cause Cardiovascular Disease?

Questions about the relation between the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease have been raised by many people and experts. According to studies, there is an important relevance between the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease since the diet is based on fats and not all fats are the same nutritious. The intake of the fat that the body needs is very hard and when proper nutrition is not provided, decrease in the blood pressure, food consumption deficiency, and thus a cardiovascular disease is possible to occur. Such diets should not be followed without the guidance of a professional expert.

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Does the Keto Diet Clog Your Arteries?

Apart from the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease, the relation between the diet and the clogged arteries are questioned. The answer to this question depends on various factors such as the age, the health condition of the person, the keto diet type which the person follows, and so on. The ketogenic diet will be listed by an expert dietitian who will have considered the conditions of the patient. Besides, the doctor will most probably analyze the current condition and social environment of the patient so that a perfectly personalized diet list may be provided. Finally, if a controlled and appropriate ketogenic diet list is followed; no clogged arteries will occur.

Do Cardiologists Recommend the Keto Diet?

No studies have been had results that provide strong evidence that a keto diet is safe for the treatment of various diseases except for Epilepsy. However, cardiologists do not recommend the ketogenic diet due to the high consumption of fats that may result in atherosclerosis that leads to heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.[¹] Therefore, the relation between the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease is a significant topic to be considered. The best thing to do is to see a dietitian that will most probably ask you for tests and affirmations from your cardiologist.

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Is Keto Hard on the Heart?

Although it has been mentioned earlier that the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease are related negatively, a positive effect may turn out as a result of an appropriate diet to a healthy heart. The ketogenic diet has been a successful way to lose weight so far and therefore it may decrease the risks of heart attacks.[²] However, it should be kept in mind that this happens if proper consultation is performed by a keto expert or professional dietitian. To avoid the harm that keto diet may cause on the heart, healthy fats that are unprocessed are the best. Yet, it is essential to see a dietitian who makes the appropriate tests and analysis before starting the diet.

Is Keto Bad for Your Cholesterol?

The ketogenic diet does not depend on a single factor. For people who have liver disorders or high cholesterol disorders, the strict ketogenic diet may increase the cholesterol in case of processed fats that harm the body. Although not many studies have shown a risk in the ketogenic diet towards the cholesterol as they had in the relevance of ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease, it is the best to see a doctor and get an affirmation for the ketogenic diet. Mostly many low-carbohydrate diets do not affect the cholesterol level. Yet, every individual is unique and each body may show different reactions to a strict diet.

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CONCLUSION

The ketogenic diet that reduces and minimizes the carbohydrate consumption, moderates the protein intake, and enhances the fat consumption is included in the category of low-carbohydrate diets. By doing so, the deficiency of energy production due to the lack of carbohydrates in the body activates the fat burn to provide energy to the body. Among the differing low-carbohydrate diets, the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease are analyzed in terms of influence and relation.

As a result, it has been concluded that the connection between the ketogenic diet and cardiovascular disease depends on the person’s current health circumstance, the age, the social environment, and durability. Thus, with a professionally constructed personalized plan that is a result of various tests and analyses by the dietitian or doctor; a healthy ketogenic diet may be followed.