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Study: Low-Carb Diet is Said to Shorten Lifespan

In the fight against excess pounds, the low-carb diet is very popular. A new study published surprising results: low carb is not as healthy as previously thought and can even shorten life expectancy under certain circumstances.

The low-carb diet is well known to everyone and is considered by many to be a successful weight loss diet. But is low carb not so healthy for us and can it even harm us?

dr Sara Seidelmann, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Boston, took a closer look at the low-carb diet and its effects and came up with startling results that were published in The Lancet Public Health. The study found that under certain circumstances, a low-carb diet can shorten life expectancy by up to four years.

Carrying out the study

Two studies were conducted to take a closer look at the effects of a low-carb diet.

1st study:

The study spanned 15,400 subjects over a 25-year period and took into account gender, age, educational level, ethnicity, physical activity, income, diabetes, smoking, and precise dietary habits. The participants had to fill out questionnaires about their eating habits, with information about the food and drink consumed and the portion sizes of the meals.

Results:

  • at the age of 50, the remaining life expectancy was estimated at another 33 years for the subjects who consumed moderate amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. 50 to 55 percent of the daily energy intake
  • at the age of 50, the remaining life expectancy was estimated at another 32 years for the subjects who consumed high amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. more than 65 percent of the daily energy intake
  • at the age of 50, the remaining lifespan was estimated at another 29 years for the subjects who consumed small amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. less than 30 percent of the daily energy intake
  • Conclusion: Consuming a moderate amount of carbohydrates in combination with vegetable sources of protein and fat is better than a low-carb diet containing meat.

2nd study:

In a second study, the scientists examined the exact implementation of the low-carb diet of 430,000 participants using two different types of nutrition:

  • the classic low-carb diet with few carbohydrates, lots of animal proteins and fats (meat, eggs, cheese, and milk)
  • the vegetarian low-carb diet with few carbohydrates, lots of vegetable proteins and fats (nuts, legumes, etc.)

Results:

This study found that a low-carb, high-meat diet shortened life expectancy compared to a moderate-carb diet. However, those who use vegetable protein sources even have a longer life expectancy than those who have a moderate carbohydrate intake.

Conclusion: A vegetarian low-carb diet can increase life expectancy.

dr Sara Seidelmann, who led the study, explained: “Low carb diets are becoming more popular because people believe it is a healthy way to lose weight quickly. However, our data suggest that a low-carb, animal-based diet is more likely to be associated with shorter lifespans. Therefore, people should not be encouraged to follow this diet. Instead, people who want to eat low carb should swap carbohydrates for plant-based fats and plant-based proteins, as such a low-carb diet actually enables healthy aging.”

Why low carb and high carb shorten the life

Scientists say Anyone who eats a low-carb diet and eats little fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, but more animal products automatically promotes inflammation in the body, increases oxidative stress, and accelerates the aging process, which increases risk of death.

A diet rich in carbohydrates is just as bad because those who mainly eat unhealthy foods made from white flour (toast, biscuits, etc.) promote metabolic diseases and digestive problems.

If low carb, then vegetarian?

A low-carb diet is only recommended if it consists mainly of vegetable protein and fat sources such as vegetables, legumes, and nuts. The researchers, therefore, recommend a plant-based wholesome diet. Meat is not taboo, but it should never replace carbohydrates.

The scientists in the study, therefore, classify both a low-carb diet and a high-carb diet as not beneficial for health.

Our conclusion to the study

Due to the duration of the study, it must also be assumed that study participants changed their diet over the course of this time, which could falsify the results. It is also questionable whether the so-called low-carb subjects in these observational studies actually followed a conscious low-carb diet the whole time. In addition, the surveys only show correlations and no causalities, so the connection between cause and effect is not taken into account.

So there is no reason to get excited. We recommend a balanced, conscious, and moderate low-carb diet if you want to eat a low-carbohydrate diet. Be mindful of the protein and fat sources you consume, just as you should ensure adequate vitamin and fiber intake. Diets cannot only be judged on the basis of carbohydrate and protein content. Many other factors, including nutrient sources, play an important role.

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health

Study Shows: These Sports Extend Our Lives Massively

Those who play sports have a longer life expectancy. Everyone is probably aware of this fact.

These seven sports extend your life the longest:

Tennis by 9.7 years
Badminton by 6.2 years
Playing football by 4.7 years
Cycling by 3.7 years
Swimming 3.4 years
jogging by 3.2 years
Gymnastics 3.1 years

The sports that top the list have one thing in common: they are played in teams or at least in pairs. It seems that team sports in particular have a positive influence on people’s life expectancy. Apparently, the component of social interaction plays a decisive role here.

The leader here is tennis, which can extend the length of life by an average of 9.7 years. Badminton players live about 6.2 years longer, according to the study. But football also has a positive effect on lifespan. On average, football players have a significantly longer lifespan of 4.7 years.

Individual sports extend lives longer than team sports

Individual sports also increase lifespan, but not to the same extent as team sports. Cycling accounts for an additional 3.7 years, swimming for 3.4 years, jogging for 3.2 years – this also supports another study, according to which fast runners live up to 15 years longer than dawdlers – and gymnastics for 3.1 years . But why is that?

Contact with other people seems to be an important reason here. “If you are interested in training for health, longevity and wellness, perhaps the most important feature of your training program is that it should include a play date,” said Dr. James O’Keefe, one of the co-authors of the Copenhagen City Heart study. The social interaction in team sports not only moves you, but also maintains social contacts, which is immeasurable for a long life.

Activities like running and weightlifting prolong life and provide numerous other health benefits. But the best thing would be for people who play these kinds of sports to supplement their training with activities that promote social bonding, says O’Keefe.

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Food

Purine in Food: Excessive Consumption Drastically Shortens Lifespan

Purines increase the level of uric acid in the blood. This can have fatal health consequences. Not just because it can lead to gout. According to a study, those who consume excessive amounts of purine-containing foods also shorten their lifespan by up to eleven years.

Study on foods containing purines: Significantly shortened life expectancy in men

Purines are organic compounds found in the body but also in some foods and beverages. As the Apotheken-Umschau warns, purines from food increase the uric acid level in the blood via the metabolism – this leads to what is known as hyperuricemia. This forms crystals that are deposited in joints and trigger painful gout attacks. If you eat a healthy and varied diet, your body will be able to keep its own balance and eliminate excess uric acid through the kidneys, intestines, sweat and saliva.

However, eating too many purine-rich foods increases the risk of diseases such as gout and shortens lifespan by up to 11.7 years, according to an Irish study by the University of Limerick. In the study, the research team analyzed the data of around 26,500 people with elevated uric acid levels. The researchers found that men whose uric acid concentration in the blood exceeds the value of 535 µmol/l have a life expectancy that is up to 11.7 years lower than men whose value is lower.

In women, the reduction in lifespan is not quite as drastic as in men. Nevertheless, it can decrease by an average of six years at a value of more than 416 µmol / l. But beware: too low a uric acid level can also be dangerous – especially for men. The value should therefore not be less than 238 µmol / l.

Purine-rich and low-purine foods at a glance

The exact values ​​of the uric acid level should always be checked by a doctor.
This can give you information about the actual causes of critical values.
He also determined whether these should be increased or decreased.
Foods that are particularly high in purine:
Red Meat (Lean Meat)
sausage
poultry skin
meat extract
spinach
dried fruit, e.g. B. Dates
Offal
shellfish and crustaceans
Cauliflower
Legumes (kidney beans, peas, soy and soy products)
trout, herring
Yeast
Linseed and sunflower seeds
Beer

Foods that are low in purines:
eggs
Low-fat milk and milk products
Vegetables (tomato, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, potato, pepper)
Beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, sparkling wine and fruit juices
Nuts and kernels (walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts, sesame seeds, pine nuts, almonds)
fruit
margarine and vegetable oils
Polenta (maize grits)

Purines and alcohol: It is best to avoid them completely

Regardless of whether the respective drinks contain a lot or a little purine, advises to completely avoid alcohol in the case of gout and hyperuricemia

For example, beer (also non-alcoholic) contains relatively little purine with 10 to 15 milligrams (mg) of uric acid equivalent per 100 grams. However, beer is usually consumed in larger amounts than solid foods. A liter of beer comes from 100 to 150 mg uric acid equivalent. To prevent hyperuricemia and gout attacks, a maximum of 500 mg of uric acid per day should be obtained via purines in food (low-purine diet), according to the health portal. With a strictly low-purine diet, which is indicated in acute attacks of gout, the maximum value is only 300 mg uric acid daily.

Conclusion: Only those who permanently prevent the excessive consumption of purine-containing foods can hope for a longer lifespan.

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