In a recent study published in the journal Science Advances , a large team of researchers in the United States examined the detrimental effects of ketogenic diets. The study used murine models and reported that ketogenic diets can cause cellular senescence in various organs, such as the kidneys and heart. This cellular senescence is dependent on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and tumor protein 53 (p53).
Study: Ketogenic diet induces p53-dependent cellular senescence in multiple organs . Image Credit: SewCreamStudio / Shutterstock Ketogenic diets have become extremely popular as an effective weight loss method in recent decades. The diet is based on the principle that avoiding carbohydrates will induce the breakdown of fat for the production of ketones in the liver, which serve as an alternate source of energy.
Ketogenic diets have also been used to treat refractory epilepsy and have shown benefits against neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Studies using murine models have also reported that ketogenic diets could have anti-inflammatory effects and be beneficial against obesity, metabolic, and neurological phenotypes. However, other studies have reported that the low-carbohydrate content of ketogenic diets results in pro-inflammatory effects and increases the risk of kidney damage and cardiac fibrosis.
The use of ketogenic diets to treat intractable epilepsy in children has also been associated with a higher risk of bone fractures, growth disturban.