Ketogenic diets, which forgo carbohydrates to replace them with fats, have become extremely popular in recent years, reaching the top as the most sought after diet of 2020. Although these diets are effective in treating epilepsy and have applications in several other diseases , the evidence for use as a weight loss tool in healthy individuals remains controversial.
In a recent study on mice, the researchers suggested that ketone diets are having a dramatic impact on people’s hearts. The results showed the changes induced by a high fat diet in the heart of the rats, reducing the production of mitochondria and creating scar tissue. His work was published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
The basis of ketogenic diets revolves around bringing the body to a state of ketosis through the consumption of mainly fats. Ketosis is a normal metabolic response that arises when the body does not have enough glucose to ensure sufficient energy supply. The liver begins to transform fat molecules into ketones, which are released into the bloodstream and used as an alternative source of energy.
As this process consumes fat molecules and reduces blood glucose and insulin levels, the diet has become popular with people looking to lose weight. The jury has yet to decide whether ketogenic diets are safe and effective for long-term weight goals, with many vowing for their success and others challenging it as an alternative to traditional weight loss methods.
In the latest research, a collaboration between Shanghai’s Fudan University and Chengdu’s Sichuan University, the researchers delved into the cellular impacts of ketosis on the heart. The most abundant ketone body formed during ketosis is β-OHB (70 percent of all ketones), which is believed to have several secondary benefits for the immune system. However, research has suggested that elevated β-OHB is associated with poorer cardiac health, alongside several other correlations between ketosis and mortality.
The study involved three groups of six rats that were fed a ketogenic diet, a normal diet or a calorie restricted diet for a period of four months. After four months, the rats’ hearts were analyzed to check for cellular changes between each diet. In the ketogenic group, the mice demonstrated an increase in the ketone’s β-OHB levels and a resulting activation of the gene Sirt7, inhibiting the mitochondria biogenesis. In addition, when this pathway was translated into cultured human cells, it led to apoptosis (cell death) of cardiac cells and fibrosis (scarring).
These results do not provide clear evidence that ketogenic diets harm the human heart, nor that all ketogenic diets should be stopped. Cell and animal models were used and there is no data on the long-term effects of ketosis on human organs, which would require more extensive testing and clinical trials. However, it highlights a research path that must be followed to ensure that ketogenic diets are safe for use as a weight loss tool. The authors call for more studies for a longer period, but in the meantime, they suggest that ketogenic diets should be avoided for weight loss, unless required by a health condition.