Death of Actress Mishti Mukherjee Blamed on Keto Diet

News broke on October 2nd that beloved Bollywood Actress Indrani Chakraborty, better known by her stage name Mishti Mukherjee, passed away at the age of 27. News of the actress, known for her role in Main Krishna Hoon, passing quickly spread and was reported to have been “caused by” or “contributed to” following a keto diet. A simple google search of Mishti Mukherjee’s death will reveal endless articles citing kidney failure caused by following a ketogenic diet as the cause for her death.

Numerous reports on Mishti Mukherjee’s death cited nutritionists and physicians claiming that the ketogenic diet is a high protein diet that places stress on the kidneys and is dangerous. This is factually and scientifically incorrect.

Research shows that the ketogenic diet will not cause kidney damage in healthy individuals.

First, the ketogenic diet is a moderate-protein diet, not a high-protein diet. A high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet will not cause kidney failure in individuals without previous, underlying kidney conditions. The idea that this way of eating stresses the kidneys is not backed up by research.

Furthermore, even if the keto diet was a high-protein diet, countless studies have shown that the idea that a high-protein diet causes kidney damage is a myth (if no pre-existing kidney conditions are present). Below, are 3 studies that look at the effects of a high protein diet on kidney health and functioning and concluded that consuming high protein does not damage the kidneys.

A really important concept to keep in mind when reading news stories like this is that correlation does not equal causation. There was no proof whatsoever that Mishti Mukherjee passed due to following the ketogenic diet. Rather, her death was caused by kidney failure and she also happened to be following the ketogenic diet, so clickbait articles were created announcing that her death was caused by keto. Just because A happened and then B happened, does not mean A caused B.

The untimely passing of Mishti Mukherjee was extremely unfortunate and the entire community is saddened by her loss. That being said, we in no way want to dishonor her memory by allowing misinformation to spread about her passing. She had been following the ketogenic diet to reclaim control over her health and research simply does not support the idea that going keto is bad for you or harmful to the kidneys.

At this time, no additional information on her passing supports this notion. If new information comes to light, we will be super to post an update to keep the community informed.

With so much misinformation out there, how can you tell what is fact and what is fiction?

The ketogenic diet is so much more than just a low-carb diet. It is a metabolic state that is heavily backed by research. But, who was the time to spend hours reading through published literature and googling the answers to your questions? That’s why we created our keto community! From meal plans to workout programs, to exclusive articles, and Keto Class lectures, we have everything you need to know about keto. Plus, if you have more personal questions, you can sign up for FREE 1:1 coaching calls with a keto coach! We offer science-backed information behind everything you could want to know about going or staying keto!

Research on Kidney Function & High Protein Consumption:

• Devries, M. C., Sithamparapillai, A., Brimble, K. S., Banfield, L., Morton, R. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). Changes in Kidney Function Do Not Differ between Healthy Adults Consuming Higher- Compared with Lower- or Normal-Protein Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of nutrition, 148(11), 1760–1775. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy197

“Our analysis indicates that HP intakes do not adversely influence kidney function on GFR in healthy adults.”

• Shams-White MM, Chung M, Du M, Fu Z, Insogna KL, Karlsen MC, LeBoff MS, Shapses SA, Sackey J, Wallace TC, Weaver CM. Dietary protein and bone health: a systematic review and meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;105(6):1528-1543. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.145110. Epub 2017 Apr 12. PMID: 28404575.

“Conclusions: Current evidence shows no adverse effects of higher protein intakes.”

• Phillips SM, Chevalier S, Leidy HJ. Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 May;41(5):565-72. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0550. Epub 2016 Feb 9. PMID: 26960445.

“Despite persistent beliefs to the contrary, we can find no evidence-based link between higher protein diets and renal disease or adverse bone health. This brief synopsis highlights recent learnings based on presentations at the 2015 Canadian Nutrition Society conference, Advances in Protein Nutrition across the Lifespan. Current evidence indicates intakes in the range of at least 1.2 to 1.6 g/(kg·day) of high-quality protein is a more ideal target for achieving optimal health outcomes in adults.”