{
  "id": 16808426,
  "title": "Low-carb diet high in saturated fat shows mixed effects on cholesterol in two-year trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/low-carb-diet-high-in-saturated-fat-shows-mixed-effects-on",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-27T22:20:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-carb-diet-high-saturated-fat.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A two-year Norwegian randomized controlled trial, CARBFUNC, examined the effects of a high-saturated-fat, low-carbohydrate diet on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk markers in 193 adults with obesity. The study, led by Professor Simon Dankel of the University of Bergen's Department of Clinical Science, found that the high-fat diet increased LDL cholesterol by 5-10%, primarily due to larger, less dense particles. Triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels improved significantly in the high-fat group, while coronary artery calcification did not differ between the high-fat and higher-carbohydrate diets at 12 months. The researchers emphasized that interpreting LDL cholesterol changes in isolation may be misleading, as overall metabolic health and other blood lipid values must be considered. They concluded that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet should not be dismissed as inherently detrimental to long-term health, especially in individuals with obesity, as it could potentially lower overall disease risk when considering the combined effects of multiple blood lipid markers.",
  "summary": "New analyses from the Norwegian randomized controlled trial CARBFUNC show that more than doubling saturated fat intake over a two-year period can promote favorable changes in several cardiovascular risk markers, without increasing apoB, the main suspected risk factor. ApoB is a protein found in the particles that transport cholesterol in the blood and can be used to assess the risk of…",
  "key_points": [
    "High-saturated-fat, low-carb diet increased LDL cholesterol by 5-10%",
    "Triglycerides and HDL cholesterol improved significantly in high-fat group",
    "Low-carb diet not inherently detrimental to long-term health"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}