The ketogenic diet (KD), a very high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen, has surged in popularity for weight loss and diabetes management. While short-term benefits are reported, long-term safety remains controversial. Nearly 20 million Americans now follow a KD, yet rigorous evidence lags behind its hype. Alarmingly, our work shows that prolonged KD disrupts insulin secretion by triggering Golgi stress and lipid overload in pancreatic β-cells, revealing a hidden metabolic cost that could accelerate diabetes progression. These findings challenge the assumption that KD is universally “healthy” and underscore the urgent need to define its risks.

Our Goal is to uncover how long-term KD disrupts insulin secretion, with a focus on Golgi stress and lipotoxicity in pancreatic β-cells. Our ambition is to identify new strategies to protect β-cell function and improve the treatment of diabetes.