This new meta-analysis (more than 430,000 participants) addresses the question, Does it matter whether you eat a lot of carbs?
The researchers found a U-shaped curve: people were most likely to die if their diets were carb-heavy, or if they ate mostly fats and proteins. The subjects with the lowest odds of dying ate 50-55% of their calories in carb form.
The source of the macronutrients also matters. Mortality goes up if you eat fewer carbs but more of the fats and proteins come from animals; the risk falls as the fats/proteins are plant-based.
So, the story here is pretty conventional: carbs are good at moderate levels, while more fats and proteins ought to come from plants.
Typical of even medical research, the authors do not stress the possibility that people with genes that make you live to a ripe old age also eat more plant-based food. We know from research that high conscientiousness, which is highly influenced by genes, is associated with a long life. Good genes might: 1) motivate you to closely follow medical advice, and 2) extend your life. What you eat might not make any difference.
If that possibility sounds depressing because you can't switch out your bad genes, well I ain't here to make you feel good.
UPDATE: I should let you know that my diet ranges from minimal carbs to low carbs depending on my level of discipline (lots of carbs makes me feel lousy, and I put on weight), so I have no bias in favor of the results of this study.
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This is a comparison of diets that have sufficient carbs in them as to not have any of the effects of a low carb or ketogenic diet. In the media, at least, it is misleading. And to those of us slightly more informed, it looks suspiciously like an annoying waste of money.
ReplyDeletePaleo genetic contribution to human biodiversity probably plays a big role. From my own dietary experience, I'm pretty heavily North Sea. I later discovered my Y-Chromosome is I1 -- the oldest of the European haplogroups hence likely associated with paleo North Sea adaptations. If I stick with sea food and vegetables, I'm getting most of my protein and oils from animals but I suspect it isn't doing me as much damage as it would more neolithic genetic types. Conversely, the cultivars heavy in starch might be tolerated by the neolithic types but feel like poison when I eat them.
ReplyDeleteVegetables are very low in calories. For example, a head of lettuce is only around 50 calories, and a lot of it is fiber. And it takes energy, time, and it's generally a hassle to chew through a whole head of lettuce. A typical salmon fillet has about 250 calories. So to get the typical 2,000-2,500 calories an adult male needs to maintain body weight, you'd have to eat the equivalent of like 8-10 salmon fillets per day if you stick just to seafood and veggies.
Delete8-10 salmon fillets are about 3 pounds of salmon. A pound of the cheaper, farmed salmon is typically $7 or more. So you'd be spending at least $20 per day to live off salmon.
If you used canned tuna instead, you'd have to eat around 15 cans of tuna per day, as a typical can has about 150 calories. Cost of the cheapest cans around 75 cents to a dollar, so you'd spend around $10 to $15 dollars a day.
Eating that much salmon or tuna every day would be difficult, even if one is adapted to seafood. Most would get sick of it fast. Plus the issue with mercury and other heavy metals.
It would be interesting to see a meta analysis of randomised controlled trials on this subject. Might be quite different. Otherwise the results don’t mean a lot.
ReplyDeleteFor example:
Association of dietary, circulating, and supplement fatty acids with coronary risk, Chowdhury et al - "Our findings do not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that promote high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and suggest reduced consumption of total saturated fatty acids."
Typical of even medical research, the authors do not stress the possibility that people with genes that make you live to a ripe old age also eat more plant-based food. We know from research that high conscientiousness, which is highly influenced by genes, is associated with a long life. Good genes might: 1) motivate you to closely follow medical advice, and 2) extend your life. What you eat might not make any difference.
ReplyDeleteApparently Hong Kong has the highest meat consumption per capita in the world, and the world's longest life expectancy. I don't think paying attention to medical advice for diet is a big part of the culture there like it is elsewhere.