Going on low-carb, meat-heavy diets? Ditch those to live longer

That’s what the new research says about people who get half their daily calories from carbs than those with meat-heavy low-carb diets.

By: Sudhakar Jha | | Published: August 17, 2018 4:17 pm

Food plans which tell you to eat low carbs and go for more protein and fat, such as the Ketogenic or Paleo, have gained popularity in recent years due to many celebrities and trainers promoting and swearing by them, but they are not doing your health any good in long term. Also Read - Keto Diet: Is this low-carb diet good for your health?

Because a new research, published in the journal The Lancet, followed 15,400 people since the 1980s and found that those with low carb diets died an average of four years earlier than those who had moderate intakes. In fact, people who had higher carb intakes were better off than those who drastically reduced carbohydrates. Also Read - Good fats vs bad fats: Know what to have when you go on a keto diet

“Low-carb diets that replace carbohydrates with protein or fat are gaining widespread popularity as a health and weight loss strategy,” said study leader Dr. Sara Seidelmann, Clinical and Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. Also Read - 5 best ketogenic foods to burn that stubborn belly fat

“However, our data suggests that animal-based low carbohydrate diets, which are prevalent in North America and Europe, might be associated with shorter overall life span and should be discouraged. Instead, if one chooses to follow a low carbohydrate diet, then exchanging carbohydrates for more plant-based fats and proteins might promote healthy ageing in the long term,” added Dr. Sara.

For the study, researchers followed 15,428 adults aged 45-64 years from 1987, monitoring their diets and health outcomes for more than two decades. And they came to the conclusion that from age 50, the average life expectancy was 83 years for those with moderate carbohydrate intake (50 – 55 per cent of daily calories) which was four years longer than those with very low carbohydrate consumption (less than 40 per cent of calories) who lived an average of 79 years. Also, those on high carb diet (greater than 70 per cent of calories), lived till an average age of 82.

Researchers also found that replacing carbohydrates with animal protein and fat was linked to a higher risk of mortality than moderate carb intake. In contrast, replacing carbohydrates with plant-based foods was linked to a lower risk of death.

The authors found similar trends in eight other studies that involved 4,30,000 people and speculated that diets that heavily curbed down carbohydrates often lead to greater consumption of animal proteins and fats which may drive inflammation, biological ageing and oxidative stress.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published : August 17, 2018 4:17 pm

Horrible things that can happen if you keep your contact lenses on for a long time

Role of nurses in HIV/AIDS management: They are the first caregivers but not policymakers

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com

+91 – 22 – 6697 1234

91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

We respect your privacy

Horrible things that can happen if you keep your contact lenses on for a long time

Role of nurses in HIV/AIDS management: They are the first caregivers but not policymakers

About The health Site

Useful Links