Macro partitioning
Adherence to a ketogenic-like diet (KLD) results in a transient increase in LDL cholesterol but a sustained improvement in the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio (log(TG/HDL)), indicating a shift toward a less atherogenic LDL profile compared to ultra low-fat diets (ULF).
If you follow a very low-carb diet and see your LDL cholesterol rise, do not automatically assume your heart risk has increased. Look at your Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio; if it has improved significantly, it suggests your LDL particles have become larger and less harmful, which is a positive metabolic shift. Maintain your diet quality by minimizing added sugars and refined grains.
KLD resulted in a transient but significantly greater increase in LDL-C at 3-months with a concomitant significantly greater reduction in the log(TG/HDL)... At 12-months, LDL-C was similar for KLD and ULF, whereas KLD maintained significantly greater improvements in log(TG/HDL) compared to ULF.
Why this rating
Secondary analysis of a subset of participants (n=18 vs n=21) from a larger RCT; self-reported dietary data; small sample size limits generalizability.
Source
Weight, insulin resistance, blood lipids, and diet quality changes associated with ketogenic and ultra low-fat dietary patterns: a secondary analysis of the DIETFITS randomized clinical trial
Lucia Aronica et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2023
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2023.1220020
More from this paper
- Adherence to an ultra low-fat diet (ULF) leads to a compensatory increase in refined grain intake, which may undermine the cardioprotective potential of fat restriction.Moderate
- Both ketogenic-like (KLD) and ultra low-fat (ULF) diets produce similar weight loss and improvements in insulin resistance when adhered to, regardless of macronutrient composition.Moderate
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →