Research
Hormonal
Replacing processed carbohydrates (high GI/GL grains, potatoes, added sugars) with unprocessed carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, whole fruits) or healthy fats reduces the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Focus on the quality of your carbohydrates rather than just cutting them out. Swap refined grains, potatoes, and sugary drinks for whole grains, legumes, and whole fruits. This shift is strongly linked to better metabolic health and lower disease risk.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Replacing processed carbohydrates with unprocessed carbohydrates or healthy fats would greatly benefit public health
Why this rating
Supported by multiple meta-analyses of RCTs and prospective cohort studies, though some RCTs are short.
Source
Dietary carbohydrates: role of quality and quantity in chronic disease
David S. Ludwig et al. · BMJ · 2018
DOI 10.1136/bmj.k2340
narrative_reviewCited 321×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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