Research
Micronutrients & recovery
A low-carbohydrate diet may cause a significant increase in LDL cholesterol in a subset of individuals (approx. 30%), necessitating lipid monitoring despite average group stability.
If you follow a low-carb diet, get your blood work done after 3 months. If your LDL cholesterol rises significantly (especially >30% increase), consult your doctor. You may need to adjust your fat sources (e.g., more unsaturated fats) or reduce total fat intake, even if your triglycerides and HDL are improving.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
the LDL cholesterol level increased by more than 10% from baseline to week 24 in 30% of recipients of the low-carbohydrate diet who completed the study... Because the low-carbohydrate diet may adversely affect the LDL cholesterol level, it is prudent to monitor the serum lipid profiles of followers of this diet.
Why this rating
Based on the same RCT, but the LDL finding is a secondary outcome with individual variability.
Source
Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
Dalal J. Alsharif · Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine · 2024
rct · n=120Cited 1×
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