Are Carbs a Bigger Health Foe Than Fats?

Many people think of fat as being enemy No. 1 in our battle to eat and stay healthy. Just look at all the low-fat and fat-free products that crowd grocery store shelves. But could fat have been unfairly maligned all these years? Is the true dietary foe standing in the way of our health and well being actually carbs?

A recent large international study suggests that may be the case. The study, published in the Lancet, looked at the self-reported diet, cardiovascular disease and mortality of adults ranging in age from 35 to 70 in 18 countries across five continents, following participants for, on average, just over seven years.

The researchers concluded that it was higher carbohydrate intake that was associated with a higher risk for mortality, while fat intake was related to lower mortality.

Those who were in the top 20 percent of carb consumption were at 28 percent higher risk of dying earlier than those in the lowest 20 percent of carb consumption, although higher carb consumption was not associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular-disease mortality.