A new study has found that consuming a moderate amount of carbohydrates may be the best diet for human health. According to the research, which was published in The Lancet Public Health journal, diets composed 50- to 55-percent of carbohydrates were associated with lower risk of mortality compared to low and high carbohydrate diets. As well, the study indicates that not all low-carb diets are the same when it comes to health, with plant-based ones being ideal.
The study looked at the diets of more than 15,400 people in the United States, finding the moderate carb intake has the best outcome in terms of mortality risk. Diets composed of less than 40-percent carbohydrates and diets composed of more than 70-percent carbohydrates were both associated with increased mortality risk.
Researchers also found during a meta-analysis of studies covering more than 20 countries and 432,000 people that some low carb diets are less healthy than others. Low carb diets where the fats and proteins primarily come from plant sources were found to have lower morality risk than low carb diets that rely heavily on animal proteins and fats.
Study lead Dr. Sara Seidelmann warned:
…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 actually promote healthy aging in the long term.
The study follows a recent one that found an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in individuals who consumed a low carb diet known as the keto diet. The study implicated insulin resistance as the risk factor, with that risk being present during the early part of the diet. The same insulin resistance risk has been linked to high fat diets with regular levels of carbohydrate intake, as well.