The keto diet DOES your body: a low carb plan raises cholesterol, reduces “friendly” gut bacteria… and is no better for weight loss than other plans reduce weight, experts discover.

It’s a low-carb diet recommended by celebrities that promises to help you effortlessly lose weight by cutting out foods like potatoes, pasta and bread.

However, while it may help you drop a few pounds after the keto diet controversy it can have serious complications, including an increased risk of heart attack.

According to research from the University of Bath, those who adhered to this plan had increased cholesterol levels and reduced levels of “friendly” gut bacteria.

These results occurred after only three months on the diet, and what’s worse, keto dieters did not lose weight more than people who ate a very low-sugar diet.

Experts warned that people who commit to a keto diet can damage their health in the long run.

The keto diet aims, by seeking to eliminate carbohydrates, for people to achieve a state called ketosis.

This means no bread, pasta, rice, and no vegetables like corn, beans and squash and almost no fruit.

Without carbohydrates, the body begins to burn stored fat for energy instead, helping people lose weight.

In a recent study, experts took 53 healthy adults and assigned them three different foods.

One of them was a keto, low carb diet, and the other was a low sugar diet designed to help people lose weight.

The final diet tested was a ‘moderate sugar diet’ designed to mimic the average diet of people living in high-income countries such as Britain, which served as a control for the trial.

The researchers measured factors such as weight loss and other health indicators four weeks into the study and again at the end of the 12-week study.

Analyzing the results, the scientists found that people on the keto diet lost only a small amount of weight, losing more than 6lbs (2.9kg).

Those who cut sugar from their diet lost about 4.5lbs (2.1kg).

However, those on the keto diet also had a range of health symptoms.

Experts found that participants who had cut carbs raised the level of bad cholesterol, including the type associated with the accumulation of plaque in the arteries.

On the other hand, eating a low-sugar diet lowered bad cholesterol in people’s blood.

Additionally, a separate analysis of the participants’ gut microbiome, the collection of tiny microbes in the digestive system, found that the keto diet reduced the levels of bacteria called Bifidobacteria.

This bacteria, often found in probiotic supplements, helps produce B vitamins, prevents harmful bacteria from colonizing the gut and lowers cholesterol.

Also, on the contrary, the low sugar diet had no significant impact on the composition of the gut microbiome.

Finally, keto dieters also showed signs of insulin resistance as their bodies forgot how to process carbohydrates meaning that if they went back to a regular diet, they would be at greater risk. of developing type 2 diabetes.

Lead researcher Dr Aaron Hengist, an expert in nutrition, exercise and metabolism, said the results showed weight loss was not the only lifestyle factor to consider when it came to lose weight.

‘Despite reducing fat mass, the ketogenic diet increased the levels of unhealthy fats in the blood of our participants, which, if held for many years, could have long-term health consequences long such as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke,’ he said.

Dr Russell Davies, a gut microbiome specialist, and a pioneer in this field of study added: ‘Dietary fiber is essential for the survival of good gut bacteria such as Bifidobacteria.

‘The ketogenic diet reduced fiber intake to around 15 grams per day, half of the NHS recommended intake.

“This reduction in Bifidobacteria may contribute to significant long-term health consequences such as increased risk of digestive diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, increased risk of intestinal infections and poor when the immune system.”

Professor Javier Gonzalez, another specialist in nutrition, exercise and metabolism says that increased insulin resistance among keto dieters was also a potential problem in the future.

The ketogenic diet reduced fasting glucose levels but also reduced the body’s ability to process carbs from food.

‘This insulin resistance is not necessarily a bad thing if people follow a ketogenic diet, but if these changes persist when people return to a high carbohydrate diet it can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 2 for a long time.’

The authors concluded their study by saying that while more research is needed on this diet now, if people want to lose weight, they can recommend a low-sugar diet.

Co-author Professor Dylan Thompson, an expert in human physiology, said: ‘The ketogenic diet works well for fat loss, but it comes with various effects on the metabolism and the microbiome that may not be the case. agreed with all.

‘On the other hand, sugar restriction supports government guidelines for reducing the consumption of free sugar, promoting fat loss without negative health effects.’

Keto diets often advocate cutting carbs while eating a high-fat, high-protein diet.

Ketogenic consists of 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein and only 5 percent carbohydrates.

This is in stark contrast to NHS advice on a balanced diet which recommends 30 per cent fat, 15 per cent protein and 55 per cent carbohydrates.

The average keto dieter is advised to only eat between 20g to 50g of carbohydrates per day.

With a slice of wholemeal bread containing 14g of carbohydrates and a banana 20g, this means keto dieters need to plan their meals carefully.

Although many studies show the potential dangers of the keto diet, it has become very popular.

Several famous people such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry and Kourtney Kardashian have talked about eating a low carb diet in the past.