New Study Reveals SCARY Aftermath of Low or High Carb Diet

There’s been endless arguments and conflicting claims and theory when we talk about carbohydrates in the fitness industry. Some health experts claim that eating carbs, especially the complex and processed ones, are the culprit as to why most people gain weight and have high blood sugar levels.

That’s why the health experts and nutritionists recommend their clients in undergoing a low-carb diet to lose weight. While the other health experts and sports coaches, on the other hand, claim that carbs are a good source of food to have leaner, stronger muscles, which makes it an ideal staple for athletes and active people. Whichever side you take, this latest study reveals that having a low or high carb diet can increase your risk of death.

The Claim

According to a recent study published last Thursday, around 40-70% of our calories come from eating carbohydrates, which is associated with increasing our mortality rate. The researchers reveal that eating in moderate levels (in between the said range) is the best option for you to live longer and healthy. Furthermore, the definition of a low-carb diet does not necessarily translate to the quality of the foods you eat.

According to the researchers, most people who are into low-carb diet replaced their carb with protein or fats coming from animals like beef, cheese, lamb, chicken, and pork. She also warns about going turkey on foods like bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta due to the widespread popularity of the low-carb diet as a weight loss method.

Golubovy/Shutterstock
Dr. Sara Seidelmann says that eliminating one portion of the diet isn’t enough to help you lose weight and live healthier. Instead, you need to look carefully at what you eat to determine whether it’s good or bad for your body.

A Brigham and women’s Hospital clinical researcher Sidelmann also adds that people should inspect the healthy components, ingredients, and nutrition label of a product before they decide to eat a particular food. She also warns about going turkey on foods like bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta due to the widespread popularity of the low-carb diet as a weight loss method.

Even if some previous studies show how giving up carbs are beneficial to short-term weight loss, Seidelmann added that its long-term effect proves to have more negative consequences to your body, even leading to death.

The Data

Jeny Che/Shutterstock
According to Seidelman, their data suggest that most Americans and Europeans (in which the low-carb diet is prevalent) associated with shorter lifespan due to chronic illnesses and complications. So she discourages long-term low-carb diet.

According to the study, our body needs around 2,000 kcal every day for our body to function well and healthy. Around 30% of our calories must come from carbs which equate to around 150g a day. The sugars we’ve acquired whether from natural or processed foods contribute to around 50g in total. The remaining 100g of complex carbs our body needs can be acquired in cereals, grains, and even starchy vegetables.

This recent study also reflects the UK’s National Health Service‘s claim that carbs are essential for a healthy diet. That’s why the UK’s NHS dietitian Catherine Collins recommends at least a third of the British’s diet should consist of starchy foods.

The Application

Sure enough, the UK Health Department released new government guidelines to allow the addition of carbs back to a healthy diet system. Though the said move, along with the recent findings Seidelmann team discovered will disappoint those professionals who defend and support the low-carb diet, according to Collins. However, she stands firm in her claim that the overwhelming evidence that emerged nowadays suggest a low-carb diet is bad for our health and well-being in the long run.

Seidelmann team studied more than 15,000 patients aging from 45-64 years old with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds across the country. The team calculated their average calorie intake a well as the proportion of calories from different food groups. They outlined the types of food and drink the participants consumed based on their answers on the questionnaires, as well as their portion sizes and frequency of eating. The data showed a median of 25 years, in which around 6,283 people died earlier than the ideal life expectancy.