Men Should Be Eating This One Food for Longevity
A keto diet might help men lose weight and boost testosterone (1). But scratching carbs might not be worth it in the long run. Going to extremes with carbohydrates and fats might shorten your lifespan, suggests new research from The Journal of Nutrition (2).
The study, from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, found that carbs and fats may impact men and women differently. Men who ate too few carbohydrates significantly increased their risk of all-cause mortality, while men with a higher fat intake had a higher risk of cancer-related mortality.
Exactly how many carbs and fats should you eat for longevity? Here’s the low down.
What Did the Research Show?
To figure all this out, researchers followed a whopping 34,893 men and 46,440 women ranging from 35 to 69 years old. According to the average body mass index (BMI) scores—23.7 for men and 22.2 for women—the participants were relatively healthy.
After nine years, researchers surveyed participants to estimate their carb, fat, and total energy intake. Rather than tracking which participants got a chronic disease like cancer and/or passed away, the researchers used a hazard ratio to estimate the probability of all- and specific-cause mortality based on participants’ diets.
When it came to carbohydrate consumption, the researchers found that men who got fewer than 40 percent of their total daily calories from carbs were at a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality than men who consumed 50 to 55 percent carbs. Surprisingly, the risk held steady regardless of the quality of those carbs (refined or minimally processed).
As for fat, the risk of cancer-related mortality was higher among men who got more than 35 percent of their calories from fat. Low unsaturated fat intake (think: olive oil and avocados) in men was also linked to a higher risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality.
Why Men Should Eat Carbs for Longevity
Longevity experts have long argued about the rightful place of fats and carbs in a longevity diet. Some experts point to research that suggests a low-carb, keto diet can lower inflammation, reduce risk of many chronic health issues (like diabetes and cancer), boost energy and brain health, help with fat loss, and improve hormone levels (3).
But carb intake seems to be important for a long, healthy life. A study published in the Lancet found both a low-carb intake (less than 40 percent) and a high-carb intake (over 70 percent) were associated with an increased risk of mortality (4). The study concluded a diet made up of 50 to 55 percent carbs was optimal for longevity. Another linked low carb intake with a 32 percent increased risk of overall mortality and a 36 percent increased risk of cancer-related mortality (5).
Why? Researchers from The Journal of Nutrition study speculate that participants who ate fewer carbs may have been short in other important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (like polyphenols) that come along with eating nutrient-dense carbs like whole grains and colorful fruits and veggies.
To upgrade both the nutrient density of your food and hit the macro sweet spot (the ratio of carbs to fats), consider the Mediterranean diet. The long-lived people of Blue Zones—longevity hotspots around the world where many people live well into their 100s—swear by the Mediterranean diet. The diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, and veggies, along with herbs, spices, nuts, olive oil, fish, poultry, and modest amounts of red meat and wine.
The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a longer lifespan, a better healthspan, a lower risk of chronic disease, and may even reverse your brain’s biological age (6, 7, 8). Not to mention, it inherently checks the boxes from The Journal of Nutrition study’s recommended longevity diet for men: A more balanced diet including healthy carbs, a moderate amount of fat, and more healthy fats.
