Low-carb diets increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke

Adults on restricted carbohydrate diets have a 15% higher likelihood of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) than people whose diets meet standard dietary recommendations. However, the risk jumped to 40% among those who consumed a lot of fats as part of their low-carb diet, a study published in Current Developments in Nutrition found. CMDs account for over a third of annual deaths in the U. S., with nearly half associated with poor diet quality. And while special diets are popular, the evidence for long-term health effects is varied. Meanwhile, studies haven’t looked at the possible effects of fats on low-carb diets and CMD prevalence. The researchers used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 through 2018 which included details on individual-level food intake, nutrient intake from foods and supplements, sociodemographics, and prevalent heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A total of 19,078 participants were included. First the data were divided into categories according to the types of diet people followed. These included a restricted carbohydrate diet (less than 45% of daily energy); recommended carbohydrate (45% to 65% energy); and those that met all macronutrient recommendations (total carbohydrate, 45% to 65% energy). The carbohydrate groups were divided into four groups based on type of fat intake: SFAs, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), PUFAs and total fat. Standard criteria were used to assess CMD conditions. Analyses showed that people following restricted carbohydrate diets had a 15% higher likelihood of prevalent CMDs than those whose diets met daily macronutrient recommendations. Those with a higher intake of total fat, or any class of fat, was associated with a greater chance of having CMD among those who consumed restricted carbohydrate diets – even after adjusting for other dietary factors such as intake of sugar, fiber, protein, or alcohol. “Similar findings were observed among those that consumed recommended carbohydrate diets for total fat and PUFA and SFA fat classes but were of lower magnitude,” the study said. But “unexpectedly, there was a positive association between PUFA intake and CMD regardless of carbohydrate intake,” the paper said. Additionally, “Our findings showed that recommended carbohydrate intake plus high MUFA intake presented the strongest protective association with CMD outcomes of any dietary pattern we investigated in this study.”

Low-carb diets increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke

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