Ketogenic eating IMPROVES heart health....Today's post:  Tuesday, 9-11-2018

Last week a headline appeared that said ketogenic eating harms the heart.

That seemed odd to me and not likely to be true so I just ignored it at the time. 

Ben Ong looked at the study. I read his recent email with his report.

1.  Simple:  The headline was an incompetent and unwarranted and inaccurate description of the study.

That study showed that eating only hydrogenated oils harmed the heart.  That’s been known for well over 50 years!   

[Hydrogenated oils are not only a direct cause of heart disease; your body does not clear them at all well. 

So eating just little bit of hydrogenated oils is not protective because the levels build up to a very harmful level after just a few days.  The only safe intake of hydrogenated oils is zero!]

In other words, that study has nothing whatever to do with ketogenic eating where health safe forms of protein and fat and oils are eaten.

2. Now a study reported in Medical News Today actually found the exact opposite is true!

These researchers found that a ketone that is produced by temporary or intermittent fasting or by properly done ketogenic eating actually caused the surface of the blood vessels in the heart to initiate repairs with new healthy cells!

“....beta-hydroxybutyrate..... this molecule...prevented vascular aging.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate is a ketone (that is, a molecule produced by the liver and used as an energy source when glucose is not available.) The body produces ketones during fasting or starvation, on low-carb diets, and after prolonged exercise.

Interestingly, the research also revealed that beta-hydroxybutyrate promotes the division and multiplication of the cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Cellular division is a marker of cellular youth.”

The fasting style that includes a bowl of bone broth from grass fed cow bones and butter or ghee from grass fed cows to maintain electrolytes and collagen growth factors while fasting includes butyric acid in the butter or ghee from grass fed cows.

These things likely ALSO boost this effect!

Thanks to the work of Dale Bredesen MD we know some people are more benefitted by such fasting due to their genetic pattern.

And, some people are more willing to make the effort to eat this way than others.

Whatever is the choice of people to do in this area, the more publicized headline is totally false.

The actual data show that ketogenic eating or fasting when done well actually rejuvenates the inner surfaces of your blood vessels!

3. The foods that do harm your blood vessels -- besides any foods that contain hydrogenated oils --include excess sugar, high fructose corn syrup, free fructose, agave syrup, fruit juice and concentrated fruit juice, and artificial sweeteners.

Refined flour of hybrid wheat or any intake of hybrid wheat or anything but very sparing intake of other grains also harms your blood vessels.  They boost blood sugar more than sugar and their excessive pro-inflammatory omega 6 oil also harms the heart.

Soy and soy oil and corn oil and canola oil and safflower oil which are also high in omega 6 that causes excess inflammation which DOES cause heart disease.

4.  Are there any ways to boost the healing effect of properly done fasting and ketogenic eating?

YES.  Taking 10,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 was shown to heal damaged heart cells over time!

Also, taking vitamin K2 and magnesium with the D3 insures that your body removes calcium from your blood vessels and strengthens your bones with it instead!

5.  These actions in sections 3 & 4 also impact heart health whether you are fasting or eating a ketogenic diet or not!

If you prefer not to fast or eat a super low carb diet, you can still protect and benefit your heart.

If you do fast or eat a ketogenic diet well, these actions will multiply the heart benefit you get.