Keto Diet May Not Be Good for Your Small Intestine

Topic: Health

MIT scientists studied mice on a keto diet and found that it may increase cancer risk in the small intestine. The researchers looked at how the body uses fat as energy when eating a low-carb diet.

A ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. This means that the body starts to use fat for energy instead of sugar. Scientists have been studying if this change in energy source can affect other areas of health, like cancer.

Previous research suggested that keto diets might help protect against colon cancer. However, a new study from MIT found something different. The researchers looked at mice with a genetic predisposition to developing intestinal cancer and put them on either a keto diet or a normal diet.

The mice eating the keto diet developed small intestinal tumors more often than those on the normal diet. This was surprising because the keto-fed mice did not become obese, but their tumor rates were similar to or even higher than those in mice that ate a high-fat/high-calorie diet. The researchers then found out why this happened.

It wasn't the ketone bodies themselves that caused the increased tumor growth. Instead, it was how the body breaks down fat for energy. This process, called fatty acid oxidation, switches on proteins that make intestinal stem cells divide more quickly. Having too many active stem cells can lead to cancer.

Why It Matters

This study is important because a keto diet is becoming increasingly popular in India and around the world. If it increases cancer risk in the small intestine, people need to be aware of this potential side effect.

Key Facts

• MIT scientists studied mice on a keto diet and found that it may increase cancer risk in the small intestine.
• The researchers looked at how the body uses fat as energy when eating a low-carb diet.
• Previous research suggested that keto diets might help protect against colon cancer, but this study found something different.
• The mice eating the keto diet developed small intestinal tumors more often than those on the normal diet.
• It wasn't the ketone bodies themselves that caused the increased tumor growth, but how the body breaks down fat for energy.

Key Terms

Ketogenic diet

A diet high in fat and very low in carbohydrates.

Fatty acid oxidation

The process of breaking down fat for energy.

PPARs

Proteins that help intestinal stem cells divide more quickly.

Implications

This study is important because a keto diet is becoming increasingly popular in India and around the world. If it increases cancer risk in the small intestine, people need to be aware of this potential side effect.