According to researchers, participants in a study who ate fewer carbohydrates were at a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Hence, we decided to discuss this study and give you food for thought on whether you should skip that plate of pasta next time.
A link between low-carb diets and the risk of developing atrial fibrillation has been found. In fact, about 2.7 million people have atrial fibrillation in the USA. As one of the most common types of irregular heartbeats. Atrial fibrillation can last for a few hours or days, or it can be an ongoing condition.
People with atrial fibrillation often experience dizziness, shortness of breath, and weakness. Moreover, they are at a higher risk to experience a stroke or a heart attack.
Recently, low-carb diets and trendy weight loss plans, such as the ketogenic and Atkins diets, have become extremely popular. These diets focus on minimizing calories from grains, legumes, added sugars, and starchy vegetables.
Therefore, the study cautioned against taking these approaches. The reason behind the warning is that the carbohydrate restriction has long-term effects which can be detrimental, especially for people with cardiovascular diseases.
The study, which was conducted by Dr Zhuang and his colleagues, revealed that carbohydrates accounted for about half of the daily calories, which is within the range that federal dietary guidelines recommend. However, when they divided the participants into three groups low, moderate, and high according to how many of their daily calories were from carbohydrates, it was revealed that the low-carb group was the most at risk for developing atrial fibrillation.
The low-intake group consumed about 44% of their calories in the form of carbohydrates, the moderate group consumed about 44 to 52% of their calories from carbohydrates, while the remaining participants had diets in which carbohydrates comprised more than 52% of the calories. In fact, the low-carb group was 18% more likely than the moderate group and 16% more likely than the high-intake group.
It is still uncertain whether low-carb diets are the actual trigger for atrial fibrillation. It is believed that people who try to avoid carbs often cut back on grains, as well as, vegetables and fruit. The food groups are beneficial for reducing inflammation in the body, and inflammation has been associated with atrial fibrillation.
Moreover, Dr Zhuang believed that when people on low-carb diets eat additional proteins and fats, which might be the actual culprits for oxidative stress, which has also been linked to atrial fibrillation.
Additionally, it is also believed that patients with diabetes and obesity are required to adopt low-carb diets and the trigger for atrial fibrillation might not be the food choice but the condition itself.
Nevertheless, more research is needed to prove that low-carb diets like keto are the culprit for atrial fibrillation.