A new study has found that low-carb diet fads which claim to help people lose weight faster, come with a hefty long-term price tag. “These diets should be avoided,” said the author of the new study, Maciej Banach, in a statement. “We found that people who consumed a low-carbohydrate diet were at greater risk of premature death,” Banach added. Coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer could all be causes of such premature deaths. Their research found that the mortality rates were higher amongst people who followed such diets.
Banach noted that in order to follow such diets, people reduce their intakes of fruits and fibre and increase their intake of red meat. This was probably what increases the risk of premature death. Red meat has after all been linked to increased risk of ailments such as heart disease and cancer. But if the meat which is the source of protein in the low-carb diet were to be replaced by a vegetarian source of protein, the risks would definitely reduce significantly.
The study also found that people with low-carbohydrate diets experienced 15%, 13%, and 8% increased risk of death from heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer, respectively. Well, beware of such diets we say. Stay tuned for more updates.