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For healthiest aging, don’t give up these carbs
Too many people out there still subscribe to the myth that carbs are bad.
If you’re one of those people sticking to a no-carb, low-carb, keto or Atkins-inspired diet, prepare to have your mind changed.
In a lot of people’s minds, carbs fall into the category of “they’re fattening, and they don’t hold much nutritional value,” and they’re bad for you.
Well, nothing could be further from the truth.
And if you’re a woman, eating the right carbs during middle age can be like an insurance policy that will all but guarantee your health in old age…
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Quality carbs in midlife linked to a healthier old age
You probably know that there are two kinds of carbohydrates: refined and unrefined.
Refined carbs are mostly white. Think white bread and white rice. But they also include pastries, waffles, pizza dough, and muffins. Refined carbs are considered ultra-processed foods.
Unrefined carbs are high-quality carbs from natural, whole foods that haven’t undergone significant processing, so they retain their natural fiber and nutrients, like whole grains (such as brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal), fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Researchers from Tufts University and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health sought to determine the long-term significance of our carb choices, not just in the present — but thirty years down the road.
“We’ve all heard that different carbohydrates can affect health differently, whether for weight, energy or blood sugar levels. But rather than just look at the immediate effects of these macronutrients, we wanted to understand what they might mean for good health 30 years later,” says Andres Ardisson Korat, the study’s lead author.
The researchers analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study collected every four years between 1984 and 2016 from 47,000 women aged 70 to 93 years in 2016, including specifics about their intakes of carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load were also derived from the validated questionnaires.
Parameters set to define healthy aging included the absence of 11 major chronic diseases, lack of cognitive and physical function impairments, and good mental health, as self-reported in questionnaires.
A total of 3,706 participants met the definition of healthy aging. How did carbs play into all the data?
It turns out that carb quality intake in midlife is a strong predictor of healthy aging:
- Higher intakes of total carbs, high-quality carbs from fruits, vegetables and legumes and total dietary fiber were linked to between six and 37% greater likelihood of healthy aging,
- On the flip side of the coin, intakes of refined carbs (added sugars, white grains and potatoes) were associated with 13% lower odds of healthy aging.
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How to choose your carbs wisely
Carbohydrates are a vital component of a healthy diet.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45% to 65% of total daily calories. So, if you’re eating 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates.
If you still need tips on choosing your carbs wisely, here’s some advice from the Mayo Clinic:
- Focus on eating fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.
- Replace refined grains with whole grains.
- Eat more beans, peas, and lentils.
- Stick to low-fat dairy products, which limit saturated fat, but be mindful of added sugar.
- Limit added sugars from any source; the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar.
And about those ultra-processed foods that can contain refined carbs — avoid them like the plague. They can send aging into overdrive.
The bottom line: what’s on your plate today can help you or haunt you. Make good carb choices for healthy aging.
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Sources:
In healthy aging, carb quality counts — Eureka Alert
Dietary Carbohydrate Intake, Carbohydrate Quality, and Healthy Aging in Women — JAMA Network Open
Carbohydrates: How carbs fit into a healthy diet — Mayo Clinic
Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 — US Department of Agriculture
By Joyce Hollman
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