High Cholesterol on a Keto Diet - Should People Be Concerned?

Some people might wonder if they should be concerned about high cholesterol on a keto diet. Keto and low carb diets have become increasingly popular recently and many people are trying them out. But, a lot of people that have been following this diet have noticed that their LDL cholesterol is rising as a result of this diet. Elevated LDL is associated with heart disease and this is causing a lot of problems for people.

Key Takeaways:

Cholesterol is needed to manage the cells in the body. It helps make bile and hormones.
High levels of cholesterol gunk up arteries which can cause heart failure
Lipoproteins, or just lipids, can help remove cholesterol from the body

“It seems fairly clear that those on keto and very-low-carb diets who get most of their energy from fat – including their own fat stores – tend to have more LDL particles circulating in their bloodstream, delivering triglycerides to cells and transferring cholesterol to other lipoproteins. Whether this is harmful remains to be seen.”