One reason low carb diets can result in weight loss is that a reduction in carbs and increased protein intake may lead to reduced appetite, helping you eat fewer calories without having to think about it ( 14, 15). This suggests that if you do try an LCHF diet like Atkins, you should monitor your cholesterol levels to gauge your body’s response. Eating a strict LCHF diet rich in saturated fats for 4 weeks significantly increased LDL (bad) cholesterol in all study participants compared with a control diet ( 13). The individual increases in LDL (bad) cholesterol varied between 5 and 107 percent.Īnother smaller 2021 study of healthy women between 18 and 30 years old with average weight, looked at the effect of an LCHF ketogenic diet on LDL (bad) cholesterol. However, there was a wide variance in individual LDL responses to the diet. In one study of 30 young individuals who were at average weight, following an LCHF diet for 3 weeks significantly increased LDL (bad) cholesterol, along with total cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol compared with the control group ( 12). Whether or not low carb, high fat (LCHF) diets like the Atkins diet raise LDL (bad) cholesterol appears to be on an individual basis. When compared with other diets, some studies suggest the Atkins and other low carb diets may lead to more weight loss and greater improvements in blood sugar, HDL (good) cholesterol, triglycerides, and other health markers than low fat diets. Others contend that overall diet is more important than singling out individual nutrients. However, other reviews of the literature show no association between lowering saturated fat intake and reduced risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease ( 5, 6, 7, 8).įurthermore, some experts believe that not all saturated fats have the same effects on heart disease risk ( 9). Some reviews also suggest that replacing saturated fat in your diet with polyunsaturated fats reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, like heart attacks and strokes ( 5, 6). Many studies show that eating saturated fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( 3, 4).Ī recent review that the American Heart Association conducted on saturated fat’s impact on heart disease concluded that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat can help lower cardiovascular disease by about 30 percent ( 3).
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