A low-carb diet may raise LDL cholesterol much more sharply in people who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, particularly when they consume lots of saturated fat. The findings could help explain why people following seemingly similar diets can have dramatically different results.
Low-carb diets have become increasingly popular, but their effects on cholesterol are far from uniform. Some people see little change, while others experience a substantial increase. New research suggests that genetics may help explain why.
The findings indicate that saturated fat, which can make up a larger share of some low-carb diets, may interact with a person’s genetic makeup to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a major contributor to heart disease risk. This genetic influence could help explain why two people following similar diets can have very different cholesterol responses.
“Our findings suggest that some individuals may be more sensitive to the LDL cholesterol-raising effects of saturated fat, particularly in the context of a low-carbohydrate diet, because of their genetic background,” said Alexa Barad, PhD, RDN, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine. Barad presented the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
“These findings highlight that there is real heterogeneity in how people respond to diet. Dietary conversations can sometimes become overly simplified. One person may say, ‘Low-carb diets always raise LDL cholesterol,’ while another says, ‘My LDL cholesterol did not change at all.’ Our findings suggest that both experiences can be true, depending, at least in part, on the individual’s genetic makeup,” said Barad.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260823015009.htm
