Ketogenic diet and cholesterol, here's why cholesterol is not the enemy

Published February 17, 2020·Mattia D.

**Cholesterol is essential for the body in the production of hormones, in the creation of membranes as well as in the absorption of vitamin D, and it is important to emphasize that when more cholesterol is consumed in the diet, the body produces less.

HDL and LDL are not cholesterol, but proteins used to transport it. LDL (bad cholesterol) can be differentiated into type A and type B. Type B LDL is the one that is most involved in the production of plaques and is increased with the consumption of carbohydrates and sugars.**

PS: it is good to specify that the following article is for informational purposes only. Before making any changes to your diet, it is advisable to consult your doctor or a specialized nutritionist.

What is cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) found in the blood and on the outer layers of all cells in the body. Every day our body produces a large amount of cholesterol alone, the equivalent of about 14 eggs, while only a small part is taken externally with food.

Cholesterol, when present in high quantities in the blood, is according to most doctors and cardiologists one of the main causes of plaque in the arteries, which is only the main cause of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

In recent years it has been noted that cardiovascular diseases are on the rise, as has the consumption of saturated fat in the diet worldwide. Studies have shown that plaques in patients with cardiovascular disease are largely made up of cholesterol and for this reason a low-fat diet is recommended by doctors, which is the opposite of the ketogenic diet.

So why do people who eat the ketogenic diet for several years have 0 plaque in their arteries?

This is because cholesterol does not form plaques in the arteries for the simple fact that it is in excess, in fact the more cholesterol is taken in the diet, the less the body will produce. The reason that seems to be more likely, and that numerous recent studies seem to show, is that plaques form in the presence of inflammation.

And what causes inflammation in the arteries? sugars and carbohydrates. And what foods are on the rise worldwide? Sugar and carbohydrates.

LDL and HDL what's the difference

LDL stands for low density lipoprotein, HDL instead stands for high intensity lipoprotein. In fact, these are not real cholesterol but proteins used for the transport of nutrients including cholesterol.

HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, has the task of transporting cholesterol in the liver to be "recycled". If cholesterol is so bad why does the body recycle it? The truth is that the body needs cholesterol and almost every cell in the body produces cholesterol by itself, and when you consume more cholesterol from your diet, the body produces less.

LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, is nothing more than the vehicle that does the opposite path of HDL, that is to transport cholesterol from the liver to the cells through the vascular system.

Furthermore, the LDL has two "variants" of which the distinction is never made. There is type A which is less dense and wider which is produced from saturated fat and does not create plaque problems in the blood vessels. The type B, on the other hand, is a very dense and small protein which is the primary cause of plaque in the vascular system. On the contrary, this protein is produced by the excessive consumption of sugars and carbohydrates.

Furthermore, type B protein remains in the body more than double that of type A, an average of 5 days against 2.

So it would also be worth making this distinction when talking about LDL as bad cholesterol, when in reality it is the type B that creates the most problems.

The relationship with triglycerides

Triglycerides are related to HDL and LDL and it is desirable to have low levels of these.

When triglycerides are high and HDL (good cholesterol) is low, most likely type B LDL is also high.

If triglycerides are low and HDL is high, type B LDL levels will most likely be much less than type A.

In my humble opinion it is much more important to lower triglyceride levels rather than LDL levels.

To do this, it would be enough to eliminate carbohydrates and sugars from the diet and almost certainly, unless you have a genetic problem, the level of triglycerides in the blood will lower.

The effects of the ketogenic diet on cholesterol

The ketogenic diet is a diet that includes a high intake of fat, including cholesterol-rich animal fats.

There are people who have high LDL levels after starting this diet, as there are people who will have low LDL levels. Usually this discrepancy is temporary and is due to a possible hyper-sensitivity to fat. It should also be considered how many fats are burned with this diet, which are composed of cholesterol and triglycerides which are consequently discharged by the body, hence the increase in cholesterol.

So it is possible to notice an increase in cholesterol during the ketogenic diet, but it is good to look at the big picture and then evaluate the LDL levels in relation to the triglycerides.

The importance of cholesterol

Cholesterol is extremely important for the body.

In fact, it supplies the material for the membranes of cells and neurons (myelin), membranes that provide the correct insolation and consequently the correct functioning of the latter. A low cholesterol diet, or even worse the use of drugs that block its production, could affect the proper functioning of the body.

Another important feature of cholesterol is that it helps the absorption and production of ** itamin D** as well as helping the glands to produce hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen, cortisone, etc.

Cholesterol then helps the production of bile, a substance that helps the absorption of fat in the stomach.

Conclusions

Cholesterol is essential for the body in the production of hormones, in the creation of membranes as well as in the absorption of vitamin D, and it is important to emphasize that when more cholesterol is consumed in the diet, the body produces less.

So it is good to underline that cholesterol is not the enemy, but in truth a diet high in carbohydrates is the cause of inflammation in the vascular system, inflammation which then causes the formation of plaques and the consequent increase in the risk of heart attacks or strokes.