Eating a low-fat diet rich in healthy foods in middle age may prolong life. new research Suggest.
In contrast, an analysis of dietary data from more than 370,000 middle-aged and older adults published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that healthy low-carbohydrate dietary patterns did not lead to significant improvements in longevity.
“Following a healthy low-fat diet with minimal saturated fat intake may be an effective approach to promote healthy aging in middle-aged and older adults.” Peking University Public Biostatistics at the School of Hygiene.
“The results of our study suggest that both fat quantity and quality are important determinants of health effects in middle-aged and older adults,” Zhao told TODAY.com in an email. “Even if you’re trying to eat only healthy fats, it’s a good idea to limit your fat intake.”
The new research A new assessment of popular diets The American Heart Association rated the DASH, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets as the most heart-healthy, and gave low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets a moderate score.
low carb and low fat diet
To investigate the effects of low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets on longevity, Zhao and his colleagues conducted a study in 1995 and 1996 on the NIH-AARP diet and diet, which recruited AARP members aged 6 to 50 to 71 years. We analyzed health survey data. States: California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Louisiana. For that study, researchers asked participants to complete a 124-item food questionnaire.
For the analysis, Zhao and his colleagues tested cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, deteriorating health, needing someone to fill out a questionnaire, or consuming too many calories. Participants who reported ingestion were excluded. — This leaves 371,159 participants. Researchers then categorized food choices based on how similar they were to a healthy low-carb or healthy low-fat diet.
A healthy low-carbohydrate diet was defined as a high intake of unsaturated fats and a limited intake of low-quality carbohydrates such as refined grains, added sugars, fruit juices, and starchy vegetables. A healthy low-fat diet includes high-quality carbohydrates such as plant proteins, whole grains, whole fruits, legumes, non-starchy vegetables, and limited saturated fats.
During a median follow-up of 23.5 years, 165,698 of the participants died. The researchers found that participants whose eating patterns most closely resembled a healthy low-fat diet had an overall mortality rate of 18% higher than those whose eating patterns least resembled a healthy low-fat diet. found to be low. People whose eating patterns most closely resembled a healthy low-carbohydrate diet had slightly lower mortality rates than those whose eating patterns least resembled this eating pattern.
But despite powerful data analysis, these findings have limitations.Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., director of nutrition at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, was not involved in the study. She told TODAY.com that the data used was 20 years old, from a time when “people had a very different understanding of diet and nutrition.” doing.
She also believes the results lack important context about the overall health of the participants. “I don’t know what their physical activity level was. I don’t know what their BMI was.”
Substitution of carbohydrates and fats
Dr. Matthew Tommy, a cardiologist and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, New York, agrees, telling TODAY.com that the researchers “did a great job with the data.”
However, the most important thing when people choose a low-fat or low-carb diet is what to replace fat or carbohydrate with. Replaced many carbohydrates, often unhealthy ones.
“The reality is that when you’re deficient in a particular nutrient in different diets, you don’t always compensate in a calorie-neutral way,” he explains in an email.
“Dietary strategies that emphasize low-carbohydrate or low-fat intake may be effective in the short-term for adults pursuing specific health goals,” he says, although he says that other sources of calories from carbohydrates and fats may be effective. It is important to consider how to replace the macronutrients in your diet with the right amount of caloric intake, and how the new diet will affect your long-term health.
“Adults considering a low-carbohydrate diet should be careful to avoid consuming too much saturated fat,” he said, not only for mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease, but for overall mortality. “Adults on a low-fat diet should be careful to avoid excessive intake of carbohydrates, especially refined grains and sugar,” Tomey advises.
“In addition to deciding to cut out certain nutrients, a meal plan that will help you feel full, provide your energy needs, consume enough lean protein, and achieve your calorie balance and weight management goals. A nutritionist can be very helpful,” he adds.
He also emphasizes that other factors, such as sleep patterns, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, can play a large role in people’s overall health.
