Health
Low-Carb Diets Can Shorten Your Life, New Health Study Claims
New study has found a low-carb diet could shorten life expectancy by up to four years
While low-carb diets are always linked to weight loss, a new health study has found that consuming a low-carb diet could shorten life expectancy by up to four years.
A team of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently conducted a study to determine the long-term effects of restricting carbohydrates.
For the purpose of the study, the researchers surveyed 15,400 people of ages 45 to 64 from the US. The participants were asked to fill out questionnaires on the food and drink they consumed, along with portion sizes. The research team then calculated their average caloric intake from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and followed up after about 25 years.
The research found that people who were on diets where carbohydrates made up less than 40 percent or more than 70 percent of the total energy intake had higher risks of death as compared to those who consumed carbohydrates in moderate quantity- around 50 to 55 percent.
“Low-carb diets that replace carbohydrates with protein or fat are gaining widespread popularity as a health and weight loss strategy,” lead study researcher, Dr. Sara Seidelmann of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a statement. “However, our data suggest that animal-based low carbohydrate diets, which are prevalent in North America and Europe, might be associated with shorter overall lifespan and should be discouraged.”
The study also found that low-carb diets full of plant-based proteins and fats were particularly linked to a lower risk of death as compared to those rich in animal proteins and fats, such as chicken, beef, lamb, pork, and cheese.
“If one chooses to follow a low carbohydrate diet, then exchanging carbohydrates for more plant-based fats and proteins might actually promote healthy aging in the long term,” Seidelmann added.
The study further concluded that the average life expectancy after age 50 was an additional 33 years for people in the moderate carb group. That’s four years longer than those with very low carb consumption and one year longer than those with high carb consumption.
