A new study by researchers in Australia has some sobering findings for endurance runners who are considering an LCHF or keto diet for its presumed benefits to performance. Proponents of such diets argue that the diets enable better fat adaptation over long distances, but the study found found a significant potential downside: it may compromise their bone health.

The study, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology today, took 28 elite race walkers (23 male, five female) who were training for the 2016 Olympics or the 2017 World Championships and put some of them on a high-carbohydrate diet and the rest on a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet for three and a half weeks, after which the keto group resumed carbohydrate consumption. (Athletes were allowed to choose which group to join.) “Study diets were designed and individualized for each athlete by trained members of the research team including registered sports dietitians, a professional chef, and exercise physiologists,” the study says. Athletes’ blood was tested for markers of bone breakdown and regeneration at rest and after exertion, both before the diet began and after they resumed eating carbs.

(Note that many people distinguish between a strict keto diet and LCHF, in which the restriction on carbohydrate consumption is less extreme, but in this study there is no distinction.)

The study found that markers of bone health were compromised in the keto group, and that the effects were only partially reversed when subjects resumed a high carbohydrate diet. “Long-term effects of such alterations remain unknown, but may be detrimental to bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength, with major consequences to health and performance,” the authors noted, acknowledging the need for longer-term studies.

The authors noted that while exercise is generally beneficial for bone health, “bone injuries represent a challenge to consistent training and competition in high performance sport.” Bone injuries can be caused by low energy availability, inadequate vitamin D and/or calcium intake. RED-S is a major concern for athletes, and knowledge of how to help those experiencing its effects is growing.

The study notes that carbohydrate availability may also play a role in bone health in athletes. In particular, the authors noted that several studies show that beginning endurance training with low glycogen stores stimluates the release of cytokine interleukin-6 (IL6), which increases bone breakdown. But it also cited another study that found that severely limiting carbohydrate availability in athletes resulted in increased bone breakdown independent of IL6 levels.

The study concludes: “Given the injury risks and long-term outcomes underpinned by poor bone health in later life, in athletes as well as individuals who undertake exercise for health benefits, additional investigations of the ketogenic diet and its role in perturbing bone metabolism are warranted.”

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In particular, food has become a topic of serious contention and everyone seems to have an opinion on which diets are the best.

However, with the decade coming to an end – top dietitian Paula Norris thought it was about time some of the biggest diet myths of 2019 were debunked.

Here, she reveals the six biggest diet myths of this year – and tells us which ones we should be ignoring all together.

1. Egg yolks are bad for you

Eggs are a great source of protein and nutrients – however, egg yolks have been demonised in the health-food industry this year as causing blood cholesterol levels to rocket.

However, Paula has now debunked this myth and said that eggs have a nutritional benefits – and we shouldn’t completely cut them from our diets.

“This one is understandably confusing because in the past it was advised that eggs should be limited,” she wrote on her Instagram.

“The Australian Heart Foundation did an extensive review on the current evidence and made new recommendations that stated that there is no limit of eggs for most people.

“The exception is for those who have heart disease or type 2 diabetes who should limit intake to seven eggs per week.”

2. Keto is the best way to go

From Kim Kardashian to Gwyneth Paltrow – droves of celebrities this year have hailed the keto diet for their trim physiques.

However, Paula is not convinced by the restrictive diet plan, which involves swapping out carbs for fats and proteins.

She says: “There are easier ways to lose weight. Sustaining keto long term is extremely challenging.

“The high saturated fat and exclusion of wholegrains, most fruits and some vegetables may have negative impacts.”

She adds: “In fact keto can leave you devoid of nutrients, gut loving fibre and is VERY hard to sustain long term.”

3. Dairy is the devil

A dairy backlash this year caused droves of people to swear off milk and cheese for good.

In particular, some claim that because it is high in saturated fat it can trigger heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Despite this, Paula stresses the importance of incorporating dairy-rich foods in your diet.

She says: “For those who can tolerate it, it is an extremely nutrient rich option to include in your diet.”

It comes after a recent study revealed that eating dairy makes people happier – as it increase pleasure levels by 25 per cent.

4. Vegan is the best way of eating

Many people have chosen to go vegan this year as a way of eating more healthily and helping the environment.

It involving eating only plants such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits.

Paula says you need to be particularly careful if you have a vegan diet – and ensure you are getting the nutrients you need from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet.

Paula says: “If you follow a vegan diet then careful planning is needed to ensure your nutrient intake is adequate.

“Nutritional deficiencies can have both short and long term complications.”

5. Carbs are bad

It’s a common belief that munching on anything carb-heavy can ruin an otherwise good diet.

However, Paula has debunked this myth – and claimed eating carby foods are important in our diet – as long as you don’t go overboard.

She says: “Carbs always cop unfair criticism.

“If you’re smart with how you eat them, I.e. limit processed, choose mostly whole grain and don’t go overboard with the portions then our bodies love us for eating them.

“Our body actually prefers to use them as energy over any other macronutrient.”

6. Detoxes are beneficial

Everyone this year has been encouraged to steam, juice and starve the unhealthy food they’ve eaten out of their systems with a detox diet.

It is all about expelling poisons and toxins from the body – like a sort of reset button.

You stop eating and drinking anything that isn’t just pure fruit and veg (and nuts in some cases), which then kickstarts a healthier regime.

Despite this, Paula says this diet myth is possibly the worst of all – largely as it can have a detrimental effect on the nutrients in your body.

“Detoxing. Don’t bother with it”, she urges.

“Our kidneys and liver do the detoxing for us. Detoxes leave you hungry, cranky, poor and devoid of nutrients.”

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In a recent turn of events, science has found diets that favor the “cavemen” way of eating might not be the best health bet. What a shame, considering the Paleo and its stricter high-fat cousin, the Ketogenic diet, have both quickly risen the ranks to become two of today’s trendiest diets.

A study published in July 2019 in the European Journal of Nutrition looked at the gut microbiome (the bacteria) of 90 subjects. Half of the subjects were on the Paleo diet, and the other half was the control group. The study followed these subjects for over a year, focusing on looking at the impacts of decreased resistant starch consumption on serum trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO, for short).

TMAO is a by-product of our digestive system’s breakdown of fatty foods, and elevated levels of TMAO have been associated with a higher risk for heart disease. The study also looked at the diet’s impact on the abundance of gut bacteria.

The participants of the study were separated into control and experimental groups. The control group was required to make no changes to their diet for the year and practice a well-rounded diet that included dairy, grains, and legumes (the latter are restricted on the Paleo diet).

The experimental group was required to follow the Paleo diet, and consume no more than 1 serving a day of grains and dairy products.

Because that’s a pretty f*cking strict rule to stick to for a year, they ended up dividing participants into two groups, those who stuck to the rule (the die-hards) were under the Strict Paleo group (SP) and those who broke the rules were under the Pseudo Paleo group (PP). OOP!

They pretty much called a whole group of them fake, and I am here for it.

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By now you’ve no doubt heard about the Keto Diet, a diet that is high in fat and protein and low in carbs. While many people are reporting drastic weight loss and health improvements from being on the diet there seems there may be another perk to being Keto. It seems that being on the Ket diet may help you fight the flu bug.

For many, getting their flu shot is how they help prevent themselves from getting the flu, but new research is showing that the Keto Diet can actually add further protection. In a study done by Yale University, it found that mice who were fed a Keto diet were better able to fight off the flu virus than mice who were fed a diet that was high in carbs. According to Yale News, the high protein, high fat and low carb diet activate a subset of t-cells in the lungs which can effectively help trap the flu virus.

“This was a totally unexpected finding,” noted co-senior author Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The study came about when one of Iwasaki’s trainees along with a trainee of senior co-author Vishwa Deep Dixit wondered if a specific diet could impact how one’s body reacted to certain viruses such as the flu. Not only did the mice who were fed a keto diet have a higher survival rate than mice who were fed a high carb diet but they found that the keto diet actually caused the body to release gamma delta T cells, which Yale News describes as “immune system cells that produce mucus in the cell linings of the lung.” The high carb diet didn’t have the same effect.

“This study shows that the way the body burns fat to produce ketone bodies from the food we eat can fuel the immune system to fight flu infection,” Dixit said. So if you’ve been contemplating giving the Keto Diet a try, it just may give you an extra bit of protection from the flu virus this busy holiday season. However, as with any diet or lifestyle change, you should consult your doctor before fully jumping into the Keto Diet.

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Have you ever wanted to lose weight without losing the pleasure of food? The ketogenic diet is the one for you.

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When our friend or family member talks about being on the keto diet, images of bacon swimming in runny eggs, or a steak topped with butter often come to mind. In other words, “meatless” and “keto” don’t really seem to go together.

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