Low-Carbohydrate Animal-Based, but Not Plant-Based Diets Set the Stage for Heart Disease

Long-term animal-based low-carbohydrate diets are linked to a greater risk of hardening arteries, according to a recent study that compared animal- and plant-based diets of varying carbohydrates levels. The study, which was published in the journal Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, found that animal-based but not plant-based low-carbohydrate diets, increase the risk of worsening plaque in the vessels that feed our heart by 45%.

The study followed over 2,000 people in Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Oakland over eight years. Researchers collected information about their diets and measured their coronary artery calcium, an established marker of heart disease that powerfully predicts the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. They found that young adults who follow low-carbohydrate diets have a greater risk of hardening arteries in middle age. They also found that eating more animal sources - but not plant sources - of protein and fat for carbohydrates is linked to more calcified artery plaque.

This is the very first study demonstrating that embarking on a low-carbohydrate diet as a young adult is linked to a higher future cardiovascular risk, and the authors didn’t take this lightly. Instead, they caution that, despite their popularity for weight loss, animal-based low-carbohydrate diets can set the stage for heart disease.

References

Gao JW, Hao QY, Zhang HF, et al. Low-Carbohydrate Diet Score and Coronary Artery Calcium
 Progression: Results From the CARDIA Study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2021;
41(1):491-500. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.314838