People who consume a low carbohydrate diet may be at a greater risk of premature death, according to a large-scale study presented today.
The study, presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress in Germany, examined the relationship between low carbohydrate diets, all-cause death, and deaths from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer in 24,825 people.
"We found that people who consumed a low carbohydrate diet were at greater risk of premature death, said Maciej Banach, a professor at the Medical University of Lodz in Poland.
"Risks were also increased for individual causes of death including coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer. These diets should be avoided," Banach said.
Compared to participants with the highest carbohydrate consumption, those with the lowest intake had a 32 per cent higher risk of all-cause death over an average 6.4-year follow-up.
In addition, risks of death from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer were increased by 51 per cent, 50 per cent, and 35 per cent, respectively.
The results were confirmed in a meta-analysis of seven studies with 447,506 participants and an average follow-up 15.6 years, which found increased risks in total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality with low carbohydrate diets.
"Low carbohydrate diets might be useful in the short term to lose weight, lower blood pressure, and improve blood glucose control, but our study suggests that in the long-term they are linked with an increased risk of death from any cause, and deaths due to cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer," Banach said.
Participants in the study had an average age of 47.6 years, and 51 per cent were women.
They were divided into quartiles based on the usual percentage of carbohydrates in their diet.
Banach noted that animal protein, and specifically red and processed meat, has already been linked with an increased risk of cancer.
"The reduced intake of fibre and fruits and increased intake of animal protein, cholesterol, and saturated fat with these diets may play a role. Differences in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals might also be involved," he said.
"Our study highlights an unfavourable association between low carbohydrate diets and total and cause-specific death, based on individual data and pooled results of previous studies," Banach said.
"The findings suggest that low carbohydrate diets are unsafe and should not be recommended," said Banach.
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