Is Keto Bad for Your Cholesterol?

The Lake Oconee Boomers Team

Keto

There have been many studies about the benefits of the ketogenic and low-carb diet. The popular “keto diet” can boast decreasing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Since it is a diet rich in fat and protein, it’s natural to expect it to raise your cholesterol — but does it? To understand whether keto can negatively affect your cholesterol, we must first examine what we know about it.

The Basics of Keto Diet

Ketogenic diet aims to get the body into ketosis, the state in which your body burns its fat stores to get the necessary energy in the absence of glucose (which you usually get from a diet high in carbohydrates.) Ketogenic diet consists of high intake of fat, moderate consumption of protein and deficient intake of carbs. Some of its benefits are reduced hunger, more stable values of blood sugar, and the ability to burn more fat. So how does such a diet affect cholesterol?

Good and Bad Cholesterol?

Our understanding of cholesterol has improved over the years, but some old myths about it have remained. When scientists found this waxy substance in clogged arteries, it connected to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. As it was understood then, the same bacon fat that congeals in your frying pan won’t act differently in your bloodstream. 

However, the way it works is a little more complicated than that. Our bodies naturally produce cholesterol, which is why eating cholesterol-rich foods won’t give you high cholesterol. What’s more, there is only a specific type of lipoproteins you should try to keep minimal; low-density lipoprotein or LDL, also known as “bad cholesterol.” However, it’s only a vessel that transports cholesterol to the bloodstream. It’s dangerous because its density is low, so it moves slowly and can get stuck in your blood.

The Effects of Keto Diet

Contrary to what may seem logical, a low-carb, high-fat diet does will not negatively impact most participants’ cholesterol. Most people on a ketogenic diet will see LDL levels will lower, and its particle size will increase, making LDL less prone to oxidation and getting stuck in the arteries. What’s more, keto diet also raises HDL (high-density lipoprotein or “good cholesterol”) levels for most people. However, there is a subset of dieters that will see increases in cholesterol levels, so if you are trying keto for the first time, we recommend you check your levels before and during the diet. 

Natural Supplements to Lower Bad Cholesterol

If you’re concerned about your bad cholesterol levels because they’re too high, a natural supplement like Cholesterade might help. Its soluble Acacia Fiber can lower LDL cholesterol, so you’ll see up to 17.9% decrease in total cholesterol within eight weeks of starting to use it.

The Ketogenic diet is one of the most beneficial ones when it comes to healthy weight loss, fat burn. However, if you’re concerned about your cholesterol, natural cholesterol supplements can help. 

If you want to learn more about cholesterol, visit cholesterade.com.