Moderate carbohydrate intake may result in good health

Moderate carbohydrate intake may result in good health

Turns out, eating carbohydrates in moderation can be optimal for health and longevity.

Low-carb diets that replace carbohydrates with proteins and fats from plant sources are associated with lower risk of mortality compared to those that replace carbohydrates with proteins and fat from animal sources.

In further analyses examining whether the source of proteins and fats favoured in low-carbohydrate diets--plant-based or animal-based was associated with length of life, researchers found that replacing carbohydrates with protein and fat from animal sources was associated with a higher risk of mortality than moderate carbohydrate intake. In contrast, replacing carbohydrates with plant-based foods was linked to a lower risk of mortality.

On the basis of these principles, moderate intake of carbohydrate (eg, roughly 50% of energy) is likely to be more appropriate for the general population.