Inaccurate news stories suggest low carb causes atrial fibrillation

I tried to ignore it, but I just can’t anymore. The misinformation being publicly touted needs clarification.
Popular news articles are covering an observational study linking “low-carb” diets to atrial fibrillation, a potentially dangerous heart-rhythm disorder.
NBC News: Study: Low-carb diet could lead to AFib
EurekAlert: Low-carb diet tied to common heart rhythm disorder
For starters, this study is not published yet, and it hasn’t even been presented at a scientific meeting. It looks like it will be presented next week at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting. Scientific integrity, but apparently not journalistic integrity, dictates that one should not discuss the details of a study until it is published. The reasons for this are clear, one of which is that we may draw false conclusions without having the actual data available to review.
This study is a perfect example. The headlines state this study determined those who ate a “low carb” diet were at higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Once again, however, the definition of low carb was less than 40% of calories from carbohydrate. That’s 200 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet. I have seen responses on social media such as, “I eat fewer carbs than that on my biggest cheat days!”
While 40% may be low carb by Standard American Diet (SAD) standards, it is a far cry from the less than 50 or even 20 grams of carbs to which most low-carb eaters adhere. There is a reason for the differentiation. At 40% carbs, our bodies are still burning carbs and glucose for fuel. So what happens to the fat? It gets stored. Or worse, it gets oxidized and stored. Either way, the combined high-carb and high-fat diet is the one that is most prone for health problems.
But the problems with the study don’t stop there. This is the same poor quality of evidence that we point out time and time again. Observational trials can suggest an association, but do not prove causation. The food frequency questionnaires used to record participants’ diets are notoriously inaccurate at capturing what people really eat, and they miss dietary changes that happen after the questionnaire was completed. Last, there are numerous potential confounding variables. Did people decrease their carb intake from very high to slightly high (from more than 60% to less than 40%) because they were obese and wanted to lose weight? Did they have diabetes or hypertension and wanted to improve them?
Obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension and diabetes are all risk factors for atrial fibrillation. It turns out that a low-carb diet (the real low carb diet, not the fake one in this study) improves obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension and diabetes. It’s my guess that a higher-quality, better designed study would likely show that low-carb nutrition prevents atrial fibrillation. That’s what I see in my practice, and that is how I am going to continue to use low-carb nutrition. When followed correctly, low-carb nutrition is as a powerful tool to improve health.
Thanks for reading,
Bret Scher, MD FACC


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Using this balanced diet, I've been able to reverse what little afib I've had, gone from two 24-hour allergy pills per day to one pill per year (which I likely did not have to take), lost of 9 inches in pants sizes, ceased having skin tags, have fantastic energy, can fast for multiple days at a stretch, etc.
Thank you Dr.Sher & Kristine for your insights as I feel you are both on target. Btw..I am a long time cardiac nurse...sometimes experience speaks louder than these studies. All studies have different variables which highly affect the results & the way they are interprted.
Mind you our bad habits have been a problem and weve suffered tragedy in the last year . Trying to stick to it . We need to lose a combined 300lbs plus . For our health and well being . I dont know how to really track the amount we should all eat so we just kind of eat meat n veggies and berries .
If you want to argue that some plants or the like that contain carbs are good for us to eat, that's one thing. But to say we "need" carbs is wrong. Completely wrong. Without scientific evidence.
I still eat vegetables because I like the taste of them, but I don't NEED to eat them. I've gone from eating a lot of vegetables to going days without ANY vegetables (or for that matter food).
Autumn, if you can, also avoid all seed oils, like canola, soybean, sunflower, etc. Another supposedly "healthy" item that's anything but.
Using broccoli and Dave's Killer bread:
One THIN slice of Power Seed Dave's Killer bread is 80 calories and 12 carbs.
TWO cups of raw broccoli is 31 calories and 12 carbs. (All info from My Fitness Pal)
My choice? The broccoli, and as you guess, I have no room for the bread, and ANY health professional will tell you that I made the healthier choice. Guess what?!
THAT'S LOW CARB!!!
A former vegan discusses the agriculture of perennial grasses, livestock, natural insect control courtesy of chickens and other fowl and its positive impact not only on the environment, but human health. A family goes ketogenic and watches wonderful behavioral transformation in their autistic daughter, and a woman completely eliminates sugar from her diet to shrink a breast tumor so its not visible on a mammogram. You'll also see the judicial vilification of an Austalian doctor who defies the food industry with irrefutable evidence of improved blood health in a scientific study.
Sugar, corn, wheat and chemical fillers mean huge profits for Big Food, which goes hand in hand with Big Pharma. The only incentive for healthy change will be nothing short of a revolution if the choices we make at the market are focused on our healthy bodies, not businesses healthy profits.
You may want to check out our free two week challenge! Also, click on the Low Carb & Keto section at the top of the page for lots of excellent information on keto and low carb.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/get-started
https://www.gutsense.org/fiber-menace/about-fiber-menace-book.html
This book is based a very good quality science and is one of several research based books which dismiss the need for fibre ...I totally believe that like many other nutrional fairy tales ...for example, the need for carbs, eating cholesterol raises chloresterol, eating too much protein causes kidney problems or raises blood sugar levels by stimulating GNG( GNG is 100% demand driven ), salt causes hypertension( one should avoid processed salt and use salts in their natural state ) etc etc ...there is NO need for fibre in a healthy diet ...unless you eat a diet of crap junk food in which case your bodily functions are likely to suffer all manner of issues ...constipation, IBS etc...the list is long ...
Bottom line, avoid junk, refined carbs and that includes so called “ healthy grains” and my pet hate ( and this is not too strong a word) chemically derived vegetable / seed oils ...nasty stuff !
As I always tell folks - just follow the money it’s the first thing one should do with any so called nutrional advice even before consideration is given to the actual so called advice ...
Kenrick Fearn BSc (Hons) MSc (Human Nutrition )
In the early stages of adaptation , I had a few days feeling weak as a kitten.
When I checked my pulse it was fluttering erratically. I had never experienced this before.
Once I got the potassium up, the problem went away.
Thank you for this site and the clarification (as well as all the Free medical advice from Real Doctors). Have not been on the site lately but notice there are still the same trolls on the comment section. If you don't agree with low carb then GO AWAY! There are a lot of us that this way of life has helped. If it has not helped you then move on already. Everyone is different and have different requirements.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYAQ-ZZtEU&feature=youtu.be
The common thread with all these comments seem to be a defined change in A1C, weight loss, and better health markers. That is great, if it works for you!
However , it’s unfair to discount all the normal individuals (not biased members of low carb sites) that function well and maintain normal BMI and health markers on SAD.
Just because she is a personal trainer doesn’t discount her recommendations of following a balanced diet. She actually is in line with the science , unlike your personal anectodotes of the efficacy of LCHF.
Healthy people don’t need A1C test or suffer from the ailments aforementioned in previous comments . If a subject is eating a Carb inclusive diet and maintaining normal weight levels, it’s dogmatic to believe that a LCHF diet will improve their life.
Summary: Removal of one category of food is likely to reduce overall calories in subjects who are overweight, thereby leading to improved health markers.
FWIW I also think the study is flawed, like most studies.
Heart has nowhere to beat but up basically, so the electrical paths are disrupted.
I was in moderate keto for most of 2018.
my flecainide (for flutter) was 50mg b/d
I had no afib or flutter, except the odd breakthrough
No booze, little in the way of sweet stuff and feeling great.
Christmas day I ate the big meal, drank the grog and was off to hospital christmas night
with AF and flutter.
Docs upped the flec to 100mg b/d and metoprolol for the Afib.
Damn near killed me. Metoprolol is very dangerous.
It's ten months since then and I still haven't recovered.
Not been eating keto since then apart from half hearted attempts - no real energy or discipline till now.
I managed to will the Afib away after ditching the metoprolol (read Wayne Dyers book about believing it, and then seeing it)
No idea how, but it worked.
But the flutter remains, often when I exercise I have to add another 50 mg flec 15 minutes before I start, just to stop
falling in to flutter afterwards. Works most of the time.
SO I am trying out the carnivore diet, with added fat so I can stay in ketosis.
Hoping I can kickstart things again and get back to 50 mg b/d and regain some energy.
Also working through the Heartmath Institute material, plus using their Inner Balance phone app.
Some have reported cessation of arrythmias after 6 months or so.
Keto worked for me, but falling off the wagon was disastrous.
Yes, please speak with your doctor about your medication and dosage.