- Researchers report that a healthy low-fat diet can lower the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and early death in middle-aged and older adults.
- They say a healthy low-carbohydrate diet can slightly lower the risk of early mortality in that age group.
- Experts say weight and diet become more important as you age, so selecting a healthy eating plan is vital.
Diets low in fat and carbohydrates can improve the health of middle-aged and older adults, a
Short-term clinical trials have shown the health benefits of low-carbohydrate diets and low-fat diets for weight loss and heart health.
The new study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, examines the effects of those diets on mortality in middle-aged and older adults.
The study looked at 371,159 people, aged 50 to 71 years. Over the study’s 23-year period, 165,698 of those subjects died.
The researchers reported that healthy low-fat diets — characterized by a low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of plant protein and high-quality carbohydrates — was associated with fewer deaths from all causes, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
In contrast, a general low-carb diet and an unhealthy low-carb diet were associated with significantly higher total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality rates. However, a healthy low-carb diet was associated with slightly lower death rates.
“Our results support the importance of maintaining a healthy [low-fat diet] with less saturated fat in preventing all-cause and cause-specific mortality among middle-aged and older people,” the study authors wrote.
Experts agree that low-carb diets are usually best for people as they get older.
However, when it comes to fat, they say it’s important to not exclude all fat and carbs – just the fat and carbs that are unhealthy.
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