Carbs have in recent years had a bad rap from 'health experts'
What role do carbs and fibre play in healthy ageing?
Researchers analysed diet and health data from more than 47,000 women who completed the Nurses’ Health Study questionnaires between 1984 and 2016. By 2016, participants ranged in age from 70 to 93.
Scientists included data on each participant’s dietary fibre intake and evaluated the types of total amount of carbohydrates participants consumed and their quality:
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refined carbohydrates (eg. white bread, pasta, pastries, sugary beverages)
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high-quality (unrefined) carbohydrates (eg. brown rice, oats, barley)
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carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes
“Carbohydrates contribute about half of our total calorie intake, and come in many different forms (i.e., refined, complex, simple sugars, dietary fibre) and from many sources (refined grains, added sugars, fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, potatoes, etc.) with many health implications,” researcher Ardisson Korat Jean Mayer, at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University explained.
“We know that consumption of different types of carbohydrates has implications in the risk of developing and dying from many chronic diseases; however, they [have] not examined the role of dietary carbohydrates and carbohydrate quality in healthy ageing,” he added.
Researchers defined “healthy ageing” as the absence of 11 major chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer, as well as no cognitive deficits, physical function issues, and good mental health.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that focusing on eating high-quality carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and total dietary fibre in midlife, correlated to a 6-37% better chance of healthy aging.
“What’s more, consuming carbohydrates from these sources increases our chances of avoiding chronic diseases and preserving good physical and cognitive function into older adulthood.”
High quality vs. refined carbs
“What’s more, in this study, we looked at the relationship between increasing high-quality carbohydrates while decreasing refined carbohydrates (in a substitution analysis) with healthy ageing. We found that this replacement — more high-quality carbohydrates, less refined carbohydrates — is associated with 16% higher likelihood of becoming a healthy ager.” - Ardisson Korat, scientist at Tufts university lead author posited.
When it comes to eating healthy, high quality carbs, one should look look for:
- Fresh produce: Prepare and consume in ways that minimally degrade phytonutrients such as raw in salads, lightly steamed or blanched, sautéed, roasted or grilled.
- Choose Whole Grains: Look for “whole rye” or “’whole oat” as ingredients in breads, cereals, and pastas.
- Resistant Starch: It can be found in cooked potatoes, rice, and pasta, as well as green bananas, beans, legumes, and nuts and seeds. Foods in this category are lower on the glycemic index and can feed our gut microbiota.
- Snack Right: A convenient way to add in more fibre throughout the day is with snacks such as dried fruit (without added sugar), nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and peanuts, and seeds like sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseed. Shameless plug: order from www.healthisland.co.za
- Don’t Forget Pulses: Adding beans, lentils, and peas to salads or soups or making dips or spreads—hummus or refried beans—can be a great way to add more fibre and nutrients to meals and side dishes in an inexpensive and tasty way.
Naturally, other factors will always play a role, such as: quality sleep, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption.