Low-carb or low-fat: Which diet is better for your health in middle age?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-05-03 17:01

International

Healthy low-fat diets and some low-carb diets could prolong the lives of middle-aged and older adults, according to international researchers who say unhealthy low carb-diets could do the opposite. The study looked at over 370,000 people aged 50-71 over 23 years. They found that eating a healthy low-fat diet with lots of plant protein and high-quality carbs was related to fewer deaths from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. In contrast, an overall low-carb diet and an unhealthy low-carb diet were associated with significantly higher total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality rates. A healthy low-carb diet was associated with slightly lower death rates. This kind of study cannot prove cause-and-effect, only an association.

Media release

From: Wiley

Can low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets prolong life in middle-aged and older adults?

Short-terms clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) and low-fat diets (LFDs) for weight loss and heart protection. Now a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine looks at the effects of these diets on mortality in middle-aged and older adults.

In the study of 371,159 individuals aged 50 to 71 years, 165,698 deaths occurred over a median follow-up of 23.5 years.

A healthy LFD—characterized by low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of plant protein and high-quality carbohydrates—was related to fewer deaths from all causes, from cardiovascular diseases, and from cancers. In contrast, an overall LCD and an unhealthy LCD were associated with significantly higher total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality rates. A healthy LCD was associated with slightly lower death rates.

“Our results support the importance of maintaining a healthy LFD with less saturated fat in preventing all-cause and cause-specific mortality among middle-aged and older people,” the authors wrote.

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Journal/
conference: Journal of Internal Medicine

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Peking University, China

Funder: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant number 2019YFC2003401) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 82173499 and 82204026).

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