Low-Carbohydrate Diets Raise Cholesterol

Eating a low-carbohydrate diet may increase total cholesterol, according to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Korean adult women who consumed a low-carbohydrate diet were 36 percent more likely to have a high cholesterol level. The traditional Korean diet is high in carbohydrate and low in fat and protein. According to the authors, there has been a shift to a Western-style eating pattern over the past 50 years, with a higher consumption of meat and fat and a reduction in carbohydrate. This shift has resulted in an increase in obesity, dyslipidemia, and chronic disease.