3 min readCUTTING BACK ON carbs has been a popular eating strategy for years. As more people waged war against carbs, food companies responded with lots of low- or no-carb product alternatives to your usual bread and pasta.
While convenient, researchers are finding these low-carb products—filled with refined carbs rather than whole grains—can make your diet backfire big time. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found a link between a low-carb diet mainly consisting of refined carbs with future heart problems.
If you’re interested in trying a low-carb diet or are already on one, this is news you can use.
Quality of Carbs Matters More Than Quantity
The researchers collected nutrition data from nearly 200,000 people—42,720 were men—already enrolled in three separate studies. They focused their efforts on the survey answers people gave of their regular food choices and broke it down by several categories. These included animal-based vs plant-based foods and whole grains versus refined carbs.
The data also included how many people ended up developing heart problems years after the study began. Of the nearly 200,000 people, there was 20,033 confirmed cases of coronary heart disease.
A closer analysis showed people following low-carb and low-fat diets had a 15 percent lower risk of heart disease. However, this was only when their diets comprised of plant-based foods, whole foods, and unsaturated fats. Blood samples from these participants also showed signs of better cardiovascular health, such as higher HDL “good" cholesterol, lower inflammation, and lower levels of fats in the blood.
On the flip side, people who ate low-carb and low-fat diets that contained refined carbs and were higher in animal proteins and fats had a higher risk of coronary heart disease.
2 Huge Problems With Low-Carb Diets
The likely reason people mess up low-carb diets is because the term 'low-carb' is such a broad category, explains Zhiyuan Wu, PhD, lead study author and postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “People following a low-carbohydrate diet can construct it in very different ways.”
For example, Wu says one set of people on a low-carb diet may choose healthier fat sources, like nuts and olive oil. Others might lean more into red meat and full-fat dairy that technically qualify as low-carb.“These choices can lead to very different health outcomes,” Wu says. “The key challenge is selecting high-quality sources of fats and protein when reducing carbohydrates.”
There's also a second issue with low-carb diets—you can sometimes feel like you're starving.
Carbohydrates act as appetite suppressors, helping you feel full. So when people start a low-carb diet, a common mistake is not replacing the missing food with other foods, says registered dietitian Sonya Angelone, PhD, RDN. "That leads to hunger and difficulty maintaining the diet.”
One big factor might be fiber—that critical stomach-filling nutrient. Whole, minimally processed carbohydrates usually have a good dose of fiber. Refined carbs? Not so much.
How to Approach a Low-Carb Diet the Right Way
Wu says it’s easy to default to less healthy options without careful planning. Instead of villainizing carbs, Angelone first recommends revisiting what is your usual dietary foundations. Are you including protein-rich foods like eggs, fish, or tofu? Are you adding non-starchy veggies such as broccoli and bell peppers to color up your plate? And don't forget healthy fats like avocado and extra virgin olive oil.
Carbs have a place in your meal plan as well. It's all about redefining what's a good versus bad carb. "Not all carbohydrates need to be eliminated,” Wu says. “Focusing on fats from plant-based and minimally processed foods is essential for maintaining a healthy low-carbohydrate diet.”
