Macro partitioning
Adherence to a healthy low-carbohydrate diet (low low-quality carbs, high unsaturated fat, high plant protein) is associated with marginally lower total mortality (HR 0.95) in middle-aged and older adults, whereas overall or unhealthy LCDs (high saturated fat/animal protein) increase mortality risk.
If you follow a low-carbohydrate diet, prioritize unsaturated fats (like olive oil, nuts) and plant proteins (legumes, grains) while minimizing saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. Simply reducing carbs without improving food quality may increase your risk of death.
Participants in the highest quintiles of overall LCD scores and unhealthy LCD scores had significantly higher risks of total and cause-specific mortality (hazard ratios [HRs]: 1.12–1.18). Conversely, a healthy LCD was associated with marginally lower total mortality (HR: 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.94, 0.97).
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=371,159), long follow-up (23.5 years), but observational design limits causal inference compared to RCTs.
Source
Low‐carbohydrate diets, low‐fat diets, and mortality in middle‐aged and older people: A prospective cohort study
Yimin Zhao et al. · Journal of Internal Medicine · 2023
DOI 10.1111/joim.13639
More from this paper
- Adherence to a healthy low-fat diet (low saturated fat, high high-quality carbohydrates, high plant protein) is associated with significantly lower total (HR 0.82), cardiovascular (HR 0.84), and cancer (HR 0.82) mortality in middle-aged and older adults.Good
- Isocaloric replacement of 3% energy from low-quality carbohydrates or saturated fat with plant protein is associated with significantly lower total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.Good
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