Data regarding the dietary habits of tens of thousands of adults in the United States suggest that those who follow healthful low fat and low carb diets have a lower overall death risk.

Share on Pinterest A large new study has examined the link between diet type and total mortality.

“Diet plays an important role in […] public health, and suboptimal diet is estimated as the first leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years lost in the [U.S.],” write Dr. Zhilei Shan — from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA — and colleagues in their new study paper.

Their findings now appear in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

In their research, Dr. Shan and team analyzed the data of more than 37,000 people to determine whether or not there were any associations between different diet types and mortality.

More specifically, the investigators wanted to find out if different types of low fat and low carb diet are associated with total mortality.

Although there have been several studies into the links between diet and death risk, the researchers note that — to their knowledge — none have looked specifically at how low carb and low fat diets of different qualities may fit into the equation.

“Consumption of carbohydrates from refined grains and added sugars has been adversely associated with health outcomes, whereas consumption of carbohydrates from whole grains, nonstarchy vegetables, and whole fruits appears to be beneficial,” explain the study authors.

“Likewise,” they say, “replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat was associated with lower risk of heart disease and mortality.”

For these reasons, the investigators thought it was important to identify and emphasize any associations between different diet types, different quality diets, and mortality risk.