Before you go on any diet, its important to understand the pros and cons. That includes knowing the impact of ketogenic or high-protein diets on the risk of heart disease and stroke.
There are people out there who advocate a healthy variant of the ketogenic diet, but the diet is still high in fat, high in animal protein, and low in resistant starch. A lot of different foods are missing from the ketogenic diet. I’m particularly concerned about the lack of starchy vegetables in that kind of diet.
The European Journal of Nutrition published a study that demonstrated a dramatic increase in trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a toxic compound produced in the gut by a specific bacteria called Hungatella. Hungatella produces higher amounts of TMAO in the presence of a high-protein diet. TMAO is associated with a 62% increased risk of heart disease.
Further readings:
- The Connection Between Your Mood And Your Microbiome
- Body Weight And Digestive Health: What’s The Connection?
- Dieting Mistakes That Aren’t Good For Your Gut
- How Do Low-Carb Diets Impact The Gut?
This study was focused on the paleo rather than the ketogenic diet. But I’m pretty sure that the findings would be the same for the keto diet.
Restricting resistant starch and eating lots of dietary fat and protein alters the gut microbiome. This alteration can trigger different disease processes in humans.
Don’t stay on the ketogenic or paleo diet for the long-term. If you want to keep off weight permanently, focus on lifestyle, stress, sleep, and a generally healthy diet, rather than a fad like paleo or keto.
The ketogenic diet will stabilize your blood sugars and reduce body fat, but I’d hate to see what the arteries are going to be like in the brain and around the heart if you stay on that diet for a long time.
Remember, my concerns don’t refer to the keto or paleo type diets that also include fruit and resistant starch. I think those foods should never have been taken out in the first place.
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