Ketogenic diets, which forgo carbohydratesto replace them with fats, have becomeextremely popular in recent years,rising to the top as themost-searched-for diet of 2020.Whilst these diets are effective in treating epilepsy and have applications in various other diseases, the evidence for use as a tool for weight loss in healthy individuals remains disputed.
In a recent study performed on rats,researchers have suggestedthat keto diets are having a dramatic impact on peoples hearts.The results showedthe high-fat-diet-induced changes within the rats hearts, reducing the production of mitochondria and creatingscar tissue.Their work was published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
The basis of ketogenic diets revolves around bringing the body into a state of ketosis through consuming mostly fats.Ketosis is a normal metabolic response that kicks in when the body doesnt have enough glucoseto ensure enough energy is provided. The liver begins turning fat molecules into ketones, which are released into the bloodstream and used as an alternative energy source.
As this process consumes fat molecules and lowers blood glucose and insulin levels, the diet has become popular amongpeople looking for weight loss.The jury is still out on whether ketogenic diets are safe andeffective for long-term weight goals,with many swearing by the success they have had and others disputing it as an alternative to traditional weight-loss methods.
In the latest piece of research, a collaboration between Fudan University, Shanghai, andSichuan University, Chengdu, the researchers delveddeeperintothe cellular impacts of ketosis on the heart. The most abundant ketone body formed during ketosis is-OHB (70 percent of all ketones), which has been thought to have multiple secondary benefits for the immune system. However, researchhas suggested that elevated -OHB is linked with poorer cardiac health, alongside variousother concerning correlations between ketosis and mortality.
The study involvedthree groups of six rats that were fed either a ketogenic diet, normal diet, or calorie-restricteddiet over a period of four months.After the four months, the rats hearts wereanalyzedto look for cellular changes between each diet. In the ketogenic group, the rats demonstrated an increase in the ketone -OHB levels and a resulting activation of the geneSirt7, inhibiting the biogenesis of mitochondria. Furthermore, when this pathway was translated to human cultured cells, it led to apoptosis (celldeath) of cardiac cells and fibrosis (scarring).
These results do not provide clear evidence that ketogenic diets damage the human heart, nor that all ketogenic diets should be stopped. Cellular and animal models were used and there is no data onthe long-term effectsof ketosis on human organs, which would require more extensive testing and clinical trials. However, it does highlight an avenue of inquiry that should be followed to ensure ketogenic diets are safe for use as a weight-loss tool. The authors call for further trialsover a longer period, but in the meantime suggest ketogenic diets should be avoided for weight loss unless required by a health condition.
Original post:
Keto Diets Cause Scarring Of Heart Tissue And Inhibit Mitochondria Production In Rats - IFLScience
