title: A ketogenic diet favorably affects serum biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in normal-weight men.
abstract: Very low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets are popular yet little is known regarding the effects on serum biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examined the effects of a 6-wk ketogenic diet on fasting and postprandial serum biomarkers in 20 normal-weight, normolipidemic men. Twelve men switched from their habitual diet (17% protein, 47% carbohydrate and 32% fat) to a ketogenic diet (30% protein, 8% carbohydrate and 61% fat) and eight control subjects consumed their habitual diet for 6 wk. Fasting blood lipids, insulin, LDL particle size, oxidized LDL and postprandial triacylglycerol (TAG) and insulin responses to a fat-rich meal were determined before and after treatment. There were significant decreases in fasting serum TAG (-33%), postprandial lipemia after a fat-rich meal (-29%), and fasting serum insulin concentrations (-34%) after men consumed the ketogenic diet. Fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL were unaffected and HDL cholesterol tended to increase with the ketogenic diet (+11.5%; P = 0.066). In subjects with a predominance of small LDL particles pattern B, there were significant increases in mean and peak LDL particle diameter and the percentage of LDL-1 after the ketogenic diet. There were no significant changes in blood lipids in the control group. To our knowledge this is the first study to document the effects of a ketogenic diet on fasting and postprandial CVD biomarkers independent of weight loss. The results suggest that a short-term ketogenic diet does not have a deleterious effect on CVD risk profile and may improve the lipid disorders characteristic of atherogenic dyslipidemia.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-1110, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sharman
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Neva G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.forename: Ana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Scheett
authors.forename: Jeff S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Volek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007662:Ketosis; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides