New research published in Journal of Nutrition, It shows that extreme dietary patterns related to fat and carbohydrates can impact longevity. The study, led by Dr. Takashi Tamura of Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, found that men with low carbohydrate intake and women with high carbohydrate intake had an increased risk of overall and cancer-related mortality. revealed what he was facing. Additionally, this study suggests that women who eat more fat may have a lower risk of dying from any cause.
Their findings suggest that people should pursue a balanced diet rather than drastically restricting carbohydrate and fat intake.
Low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets are gaining popularity as a way to promote weight loss and improve blood sugar levels, but their long-term effects on life expectancy are less clear. Interestingly, recent studies conducted in Western countries suggest that extreme dietary habits of carbohydrates and fats are associated with increased risk of death. However, few studies have investigated these associations in East Asian populations, including Japanese, who generally have relatively low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.
The authors conducted a nine-year follow-up study of 81,333 Japanese people (34,893 men and 46,440 women) to assess the association between carbohydrate and fat intake and mortality risk. carried out. Daily dietary intake of carbohydrates, fat, and total energy was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire and calculated as the proportion of total energy intake of carbohydrates and fat.
To examine the effect of food quality on the association with mortality, the quality of carbohydrate intake (i.e., refined compared to minimally processed carbohydrate intake) and the quality of fat intake (i.e., saturated compared to unsaturated fat intake) was also assessed.
They found that men who consumed less than 40% of their total energy from carbohydrates had a significantly higher risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality. This trend was observed regardless of whether refined or minimally processed carbohydrates were considered. However, among women who were followed for more than five years, those who ate more than 65% carbohydrates had a higher risk of all-cause mortality. No clear association was observed between intake of refined or minimally processed carbohydrates and mortality risk in women.
Regarding fat, men with higher fat intakes, >35% of total energy from fat, had an increased risk of cancer-related death. They also found that low unsaturated fat intake in men was associated with a higher risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality. In contrast, total fat intake and saturated fat intake in women were inversely associated with the risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality. They concluded that this finding does not support the idea that high fat intake has a negative effect on women’s longevity.
“The finding that saturated fat intake is inversely associated with mortality risk only in women may partially explain the differences in the association between men and women,” said Dr. Tamura. “Alternatively, non-fat components in dietary sources of fat may be responsible for the observed inverse association between fat intake and mortality in women.”
This study is very important because carbohydrate and fat restriction, such as extreme low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets, are now common diet strategies aimed at promoting health, including the management of metabolic syndrome. However, this study suggests that a low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet may not be the healthiest strategy for promoting longevity, as the short-term benefits may outweigh the long-term risks. is showing.
Overall, an unfavorable association with mortality was observed between low carbohydrate intake in men and high carbohydrate intake in women, whereas high fat intake may be associated with reduced risk of death in women. . The results of this study suggest that individuals should carefully consider how they balance their diet and ensure that they get energy from a variety of food sources while avoiding extreme diets.
References: “Carbohydrate and Fat Intake and Mortality Risk in Japanese Diet: A Japanese Multi-institutional Cohort Study” Takashi Tamura, Kenji Wakai, Yasufumi Kato, Yudai Tamada, Yoko Kubo, Rieko Okada, Mako Nagayoshi, Akira Hishida, Nahomi Imaeda, Chiho Goto, Hiroaki Ikezaki, Jun Otonari, Megumi Hara, Keitaro Tanaka, Yoko Nakamura, Miho Kusakabe, Rie Ibusuki, Chihaya Koriyama, Isao Oze, Hidemi Ito, Keitaro Matsuo, June 2, 2023, nutrition journal.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.05.027