September 09, 2017
A recent study bolsters arguments from some experts who say intake of carbs – not fat – should be monitored in a healthy diet.
Not only that, but the research out of the University of California, Davis shows that a high-fat diet can increase longevity and boost physical strength.
"The results surprised me a little," nutritionist Jon Ramsey, senior author of the report, said in a statement.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, tested how mice would react to a ketogenic diet, the high-fat, very-low-carb plan that advocates say turns the body into a fat-burning machine. The mice were split into three groups: a regular rodent high-carb diet, a low carb, high-fat diet, and a ketogenic diet, researchers said.
Researchers said the ketogenic diet significantly increased the median life span of the mice studied, and they also claim it bolstered memory, motor function and prevented age-related markers of inflammation.
"We expected some differences, but I was impressed by the magnitude we observed – a 13 percent increase in median life span for the mice on a high-fat versus high-carb diet," Ramsey said. "In humans, that would be seven to 10 years. But equally important, those mice retained quality of health in later life."
Ramsey claimed the study has implications for people who stick to the diet.
"In this case, many of the things we're looking at aren't much different from humans," he said. "At a fundamental level, humans follow similar changes and experience a decrease in overall function of organs during aging. This study indicates that a ketogenic diet can have a major impact on life and health span without major weight loss or restriction of intake."
Staples of a typical ketogenic diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, avocados, nuts, seeds and beef and poultry.
See more on the report here.
