Conflicting results on blood lipid and glucose levels were reported in humans and mice on the ketogenic diet.
In adults on the ketogenic diet, triglyceride levels remain unchanged or are lowered, whereas cholesterol levels remain unchanged, are lowered, or are increased [24-27]. The ketogenic diet increases plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels in children [28]. Fasting glucose in both adults and children remains unchanged or is lowered on the ketogenic diet [27,29-33], whereas the blood ketones are consistently increased [34]. In mice, the ketogenic diet decreases plasma triglyceride levels while in- creasing cholesterol levels [35,36]. Increased, decreased, or no change in plasma glucose levels were reported in mice on the ketogenic diet [13,18,35]. As in children, plasma ketone levels are consistently elevated in mice on ketogenic diets [18,35].
Supplementation with fish-oil leads to more consistent effects on blood lipid and glucose levels, compared to the ketogenic diet. Blood triglyceride levels decrease, whereas total cholesterol levels remain unchanged in humans [37-41]. Fasting glucose levels are unchanged in non-diabetic individuals, but are increased in type-2 diabetic individuals that supplement with fish-oil [39-41]. Blood ketone levels remain unchanged after supplementation with fish-oil [42]. Fish-oil supplemented and de- rived diets in mice reduce total plasma cholesterol and either decrease or have no effect on plasma triglyceride levels [43-45]. Fasting glucose in mice remains unchanged or is decreased in mice given fish-oil supplemented or derived diets [44-46]. Hepatic ketogenesis increased in rats fed a fish-oil-supplemented diet, due to decreased lipogenesis and increase in fatty acid oxidation [47].
Calorie restriction is a long-studied dietary modality that is often used in conjunction with the ketogenic diet to treat a variety of neurological disorders [48], and is used as a prophylactic for cardiovascular disorders and other pathologies [49-51]. Calorie restriction in humans leads to consistent reductions in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels [52-54], while blood glucose levels are consistently lowered [52,53] and plasma ketone body levels are increased [55,56]. In mice, calorie restriction leads to either a decrease or no change in plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels [35,57]. Calorie restriction in mice generally leads to a decrease in plasma glucose levels and increase in plasma ketone body levels [13,18,57,58], although there are reports showing glucose levels can remain unchanged with calorie restriction [35], and ketone body levels remaining unchanged or even decreasing with calorie restriction [35,59].
) I try to be reasonable and eat small quantities but it must be reduced.
