Ketogenic diets inhibit mitochondrial genesis, induce cardiac fibrosis in rats

Ok, we've squeezed rats in the title above.

While I agree they should be more clear that the main focus of the study is about rats, reading the study suggests they did link it to human patients with atrial fibrosis. AF patients had higher β-OHB concentrations than healthy people, which is one of the by products of a ketogenic diet. Not a direct link to KD, but certain a point of interest. I think this study is a decent case for follow up studies at the very least.

There are a lot of good work digging into the mechanism of how it causes cardiac fibrosis in rats. I don't think we should completely dismiss it just because it is in a non-human model. If anything, this study allows us to try to use the same assays on humans to see if we can observe similar results.

It annoying to me the extraordinary divisiveness conversations on ketogenic diets generate at this point. But I get we are still in the middle of the learning curve scientifically, and there is a lot of confusion.

If you follow the threads though, it’s becoming more and more clear though that practicing keto on a more or less ‘permanent’ basis, might not be the best choice for everyone. It goes both ways though, the ‘food pyramid’ they taught us growing up where the whole thing is based on bread & pasta is almost certainly bad too.

The real benefits come from having a flexible metabolism that can ‘switch gears’ and go back and forth between carb burning and fat burning. This switch triggers a cascade of beneficial mechanisms is our bodies, so riding the line and being flexible is the best place to be I think.

In the short term however, there are clear benefits to strict keto. An anecdotal example in my own case after practicing strict keto for about 6 months, I inadvertently cured my lifelong battle with acid reflux.

I had no idea that would happen. I was honestly doing it in a general attempt to be more healthy and cut sugar out of my life. But I had a problem with heartburn literally since I was 13 years old. I used to have to eat rolaids like candy. I had on and off bouts with prescription strength stuff like Prilosec & others.

After 6 months of keto my gut was permanently healed, even after stopping keto. I no longer need any medicine. Short term keto is a real treatment for acid reflux, this is something I think gets overlooked.

I no longer practice keto, but a lot of the concepts I learned still stick with me. I practice intermittent fasting many days but not always. If I feel like eating breakfast I do. If I want some bread or pasta I eat it. But I don’t base my diet on it.

Perhaps keto can kill me at 75, I kind of feel like that is slightly better than stroking out from T2 diabetes at 55.