Last update and review: October 26, 2020.
Researchers induce diseases and obesity in mice by a “high-fat diet”. The “high-fat diet” contains 60% of calories from the “good” saturated fat (lard).
For example, Louer et al., 2012 (1):
C57BL/6 mice were fed either normal chow (13% fat) or a high-fat diet (60% fat) starting at 4 weeks of age.
Diet-induced obesity significantly increased the severity of osteoarthritis following intra-articular fracture. Obesity and joint injury together can alter systemic levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-12p70.
D12492 Rodent Diet With 60 kcal% Fat (from the manufacturer‘s site).
Louer et al., 2012 (1), used a “D12492 Rodent Diet With 60 kcal% Fat”. Below, there its description and a screenshot of the manufacturer’s site.
Formulation
| Class description | Ingredients | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Casein, Lactic, 30 Mesh | 200.00 g |
| Protein | Cystine, L | 3.00 g |
| Carbohydrate | Lodex 10 | 125.00 g |
| Carbohydrate | Sucrose, Fine Granulated | 72.80 g |
| Fiber | Solka Floc, FCC200 | 50.00 g |
| Fat | Lard | 245.00 g |
| Fat | Soybean Oil, USP | 25.00 g |
| Mineral | S10026B | 50.00 g |
| Vitamin | Choline Bitartrate | 2.00 g |
| Vitamin | V10001C | 1.00 g |
| Dye | Dye, Blue FD&C #1, Alum. Lake 35-42% | 0.05 g |
| Total: | 773.85 g |
Caloric Information Physiological Fuel Values
| Protein: | 20 % Kcal |
| Fat: | 60 % Kcal |
| Carbohydrate: | 20 % Kcal |
| Energy density: | 5.21 Kcal/g |
The “high-fat rodent diet” dangerously resembles “low-carb high-fat” (LCHF) diet.
Low-carb high-fat diet (LCHF) dangerously resembles the “high-fat diet” that induces disease and chronic inflammation in mice (as % of calories): 20% from protein (=99% casein), 20% from carbs (=maltodextrin, some sucrose), 60% from fat (=90% lard), and some fiber, vitamins, minerals.
Conclusions: If you start gaining body fat on a “low-carb high-fat diet” (LCHF), beware of possible dangers.
In mice, induction of chronic inflammation and disease may require obesity. If mice are calorically restricted, they may do OK on a high-fat diet. However, it is not clear how mice do if their caloric intake on a “high-fat diet” is normal and does not result in obesity.
For humans, the picture is more complicated. Gaining fat mass is unhealthy on any diet. But the dangerous resemblance between the disease-inducing high-fat diet for laboratory rodents and “LCHF” is something to keep in mind.
Selected references:
1. Louer CR, Furman BD, Huebner JL, Kraus VB, Olson SA, Guilak F. Diet-induced obesity significantly increases the severity of post-traumatic arthritis in mice.Arthritis Rheum. 2012;64(10):3220-3230. doi:10.1002/art.34533