The low carb diet, but rich in fat, can affect the sick of the heart

A diet with few carbohydrates but rich in fat could help some people lose weight, but it could be fatal to those with a family history of heart disease, according to studies recently presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago. Researchers at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, found that obese rats fed a low fat, low carbohydrate diet - comparable to what most people consume - had more and more serious heart attacks than obese rats fed a . Worse, the findings suggest that this type of diet also affects the recovery that occurs immediately after a heart attack. Carbohydrates versus fat Carbohydrates in food (from vegetables, nuts and grains) are the main source of calories for most people today. The World Health Organization supports a diet where 55% to 75% of daily calories come from carbohydrates, 15% to 30% fat and 10% to 15% protein. The low carbohydrate area sustains a 40:30:30 ratio of carbohydrates, namely fats and proteins; .

There is considerable scientific support for these low-carbohydrate diets as weight loss programs. However, the long-term impact of high protein and fat intake on the heart and other organs is not well known. Researchers have found that for obese rats living on a fat-rich diet at the time of a new heart attack, the consequences were more severe, causing more heart muscle damage and leaving fewer chances of recovery than rats . One of the reasons could be the role of fats in inducing oxidative stress and creating free radicals, which are very reactive atoms and molecules that damage DNA and cell walls, ultimately killing heart muscle cells. Another reason, the researchers say, could be that for fat-rich rats, their hearts would have been Carbohydrates are the most fuel efficient when the heart tries to recover after a harmful event, experts say.

In the fat-rich diet, the primary fuel is ketones from the metabolism of fats, which are essential for a healthy heart, not a damaged one. Lack of glucose that would have been supplied by carbohydrates leaves the heart less able to heal itself. Both camps firmly support their opinions, now focusing on the consumption of .