Low carb diet linked to early death

Low carb diet linked to early death

From paleo to keto, a steady diet of bunless burgers, bacon, and cheese has always been questioned health wise and now a large study says enough with low carbohydrate diets. A large study suggests that low carbohydrate diets are unsafe and should be avoided as they could shorten life while diets including some carbs can promote a healthy lifespan.     

Study author Professor Maciej Banach, of the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, summarized that people should avoid low carbohydrate diets as they present a greater risk of premature death.  Risks were also increased for individual causes of death including coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer.   

A common reason why low carbohydrate diets have been popularized for several years is their ability to help with weight loss. Obesity is a major health issue worldwide and raises the risk of several chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. One dietary form to combat weight loss has the low- carbohydrate ketogenic diet, a diet that allows no more than 50 grams of carbohydrate daily.  However, the long term safety of the ketogenic diet has always been surrounded by controversy as previous studies have found conflicting results of their influence on the risk of heart disease, cancer, and death.

What this study found

Researchers with the study examined the relationship between low carbohydrate diets, all-cause death, and deaths from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (including stroke), and cancer in a nationally representative sample of 24,825 participants of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 1999 to 2010. The average age of participants was 47.6 years and 51% were women.

Results found that when compared to participants with the highest carbohydrate intake, those with the lowest intake had a 32% higher risk of all-cause death over an average 6.4 year follow-up. In addition, risks of death from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer were increased by 51%, 50%, and 35%, respectively.

What about keto diets ability to help with weight loss?

Authors of the study did recognize that low carbohydrate diets might be useful in the short term to help lose weight, lower blood pressure, and improve blood glucose control, but this study suggests that over time, they are linked with an increased risk of death from any cause. The underlying link between low carbohydrate diets and premature death stems from individuals who consume a high amount of red and processed meat – high in cholesterol and unhealthy saturated fat - while following a ketogenic diet. Just a few years ago, both red and processed meats have been linked with an increased risk of cancer. Low carbohydrate diets emphasize eating more meat, cheese, and other fatty foods while drastically restricting intake of healthy carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.  This higher emphasis on reducing carbs results in a reduced intake of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals, important nutrients that plant-based foods provide. 

This study should give cause everyone considering a low carb diet, especially for weight loss, pause to reflect on the findings from this research. Following a low carb diet can be unsafe and is not for everyone; a healthier eating pattern composed of moderate carbohydrate intake of 50% to 55% of total calories with consistent exercise is a better option that not only helps with achieving a healthy body weight but also promotes health in general.