Keto diet may accelerate organ ageing
In mice, a ketogenic diet increases the build-up of zombie-like cells in the heart, kidney, lungs and brain, which can accelerate organ ageing and lead to health problems
By Grace Wade
17 May 2024
Research on the health effects of low-carbohydrate diets like keto has had mixed results
nadianb/Shutterstock
A ketogenic diet causes damaged cells to accumulate in the organs of mice. Their build-up suggests the keto diet may accelerate organ ageing, raising the risk of conditions like heart disease and cancer.
Although many people have adopted low-carbohydrate diets like keto for weight loss and controlling blood sugar, research on their health effects is mixed, with some studies finding they increase the risk of heart attacks.
Read more
We’re finally working out why the Mediterranean diet is so good for us
Advertisement
To learn more, David Gius at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and his colleagues fed six mice a ketogenic diet for three weeks. More than 90 per cent of their calories came from fat and less than 1 per cent from carbohydrates. A control group ate a standard diet where 17 per cent of calories came from fat and 58 per cent came from carbohydrates.
The researchers then analysed heart, kidney, liver and brain tissue samples from the mice, looking for senescent cells. Senescence occurs when cells become too damaged to function, but instead of dying, they enter a zombie-like state. These cells linger in tissues, spewing toxins that stoke inflammation.
Animals on the ketogenic diet had significantly more senescent cells in their organs compared with those on a standard diet. For instance, their kidneys contained, on average, four times the amount of a marker of cellular senescence as those from animals fed a regular diet.
