Low-Carb, High-Animal-Protein Diet Linked to Higher Risk of Mortality

A low-carbohydrate diet based on animal food sources increases mortality risk, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study included 85,168 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 44,548 men from the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study with an average of 23 years of follow-up. Researchers found that a high-animal-food, low-carbohydrate diet was linked with higher all-cause mortality, including a higher rate of cancer deaths. A high-vegetable-food, low-carbohydrate diet was associated with lower mortality, especially reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular events.