MIT scientists find a hidden cancer risk of the keto diet
MIT researchers have discovered that while ketogenic diets may protect against colon cancer, they can increase the risk of cancer in the small intestine. The study highlights that metabolic shifts from low-carb diets affect different tissues in the gastrointestinal tract in contradictory ways.
Why it matters
This finding warns against generalizing the health benefits of the keto diet, suggesting that dietary interventions may have unintended, tissue-specific consequences.
A ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. By sharply limiting carbohydrates, it shifts the body away from relying on sugar for energy and toward burning fat instead, an effect that can help some people lose weight.
Scientists have increasingly studied whether this metabolic shift influences other areas of health, including cancer. Previous research has suggested that ketogenic diets may help protect against colon cancer. However, new research from MIT points to a very different outcome in the small intestine, where the same type of diet may increase cancer risk.
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