In a Low-Carb Diet, Your Protein Shouldn’t Be Meat

September is National Fruits & Veggies - More Matters® Month!  So here’s some advice from a study of low-carb diets.  It was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, based on data from the Nurses’ Health Study.

Approximately 85,000 women and 46,000 men were followed for 26 and 20 years, respectively.  They were all on low-carb diets, with either animal-derived or plant-derived fat and protein.  Food frequency questionnaires provided the data that allowed them to be grouped into animal-based or vegetable-based dieters.

A total of 12,555 participants died during the follow-up periods – 2,458 women were cardiovascular- and 5,780 cancer-related deaths; for the men there were 2,746 cardiovascular- and 2,960 cancer-related deaths. 

The risk of death in those eating an animal-based diet was slightly (+25%) but statistically significantly higher than in the vegetable-based dieters.  They had a higher risk of cancer, and death from cancer.  The vegetable-based dieters had a lower overall mortality rate, and a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

What’s the explanation?  Maybe the people on the vegetable-based diet ate more unsaturated fats, fiber, and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals).

And remember, a vegetable-based diet includes fruits and nuts, as well as veggies.  Aim for 3 fruit or nut and 2 vegetable servings a day, or vice-versa, or (better) more of both!