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Low-Fat Vs. Low-Carb Diets: Have We Been Asking the Wrong Question?
It turns out that, despite macronutrient composition, the most important factor is the quality of the foods we eat.
It seems like forever that we have been debating which is better for your heart: a low-fat or a low-carb diet. Perhaps we have been asking the wrong question. A recent study suggests that it may be more about the quality of the foods we eat than about the macronutrient breakdown and the number of grams in each group.
Over 100,000 men and women from other lifestyle studies were followed for over 30 years. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessments, each emphasizing different sources and qualities of macronutrients (animal products vs plant-based foods, whole grains vs refined carbohydrates, etc), were analyzed. Healthy foods were associated with better cardiac markers, whereas unhealthy foods were associated with worse cardiac markers.
Healthy foods are defined by high-quality, plant-based macronutrient sources, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and plant oils. The research contrasts these with low-quality, animal-sourced, and refined carbohydrate diets to demonstrate their impact on reducing coronary heart disease risk.
