A low carbohydrate diet could be problematic for women, say scientists



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Time and time again, the keto diet has been touted as the best way to lose weight, improve blood sugar levels, help fight chronic diseases, and more.

However, a new study worries scientists about how the controversy could affect women differently than men – and this is not good news.

The results, presented at the recent ENDO 2019 meeting of the Endocrine Society in New Orleans, Los Angeles, suggest that women are less likely to lose weight with the keto diet, and may even disrupt their blood sugar control. .

To conduct this study, the researchers fed a group of female and male mice with a ketogenic diet or a regular control diet.

The keto meal included 75% fat, 3% carbohydrate and 8% protein by weight, while the control diet included 7% fat, 47% carbohydrate and 19% protein by weight.

After a 15-week period, the researchers found that the female keto-fed mice showed no change in weight, but had poor glycemic control. In addition, male ketone mice showed a decrease in body weight and stabilized control of blood glucose.

"These findings can help explain the differences in the rate of success of this diet between the sexes," said Jesse Cochran, senior research scientist and research assistant at the University of Iowa. in Iowa City.

The researchers then tried to remove the ovaries from some female mice to see if estrogen plays a role in the body's response to the keto diet. The results showed that mice without ovaries and following a keto diet had lower body weight and lower body fat.

"This finding suggests that postmenopausal women could potentially perform better in terms of weight loss with the ketogenic diet compared to younger women," said Cochran.

Although conducted as part of an animal study, the team concluded that patients should always consult a health care professional before trying the keto diet to avoid the same problems as mice.

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