Carb Quality: Supporting Healthy Aging

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 Carb Quality: Supporting Healthy Aging





A new study from Tufts University and Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that what you eat in middle age could shape your health decades later. Researchers found that women who consumed more high-quality carbohydrates and dietary fiber in their forties and fifties were more likely to enjoy better mental and physical health as they aged.

The team followed over 47,000 women from the long-running Nurses' Health Study, tracking their diets every four years between 1984 and 2016. By 2016, all participants were between 70 and 93 years old. The researchers compared their intake of different types of carbohydrates, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dietary fiber, to their health status in later life.

To be considered healthy aging, women must avoid 11 major chronic diseases, maintain good mental health, and preserve their cognitive and physical abilities. In the end, just over 3,700 women met these criteria.

The results: Women who ate more total carbohydrates, especially those from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fiber, were 6 to 37% more likely to age healthily. Conversely, women who ate more refined carbs—added sugars, white bread, and potatoes—and starchy vegetables had a 13% lower chance of meeting the healthy aging benchmark.

Lead author Andres Ardisson Korat explains, "We know carbs affect weight and blood sugar, but we wanted to see the long-term impact. Our findings show that the quality of carbs matters for healthy aging."

Senior author Qi Sun adds that these findings back up previous research linking whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes to lower chronic disease risks. Now, there's a more explicit connection to physical and cognitive health.

The researchers note that most participants were white health professionals, so more work is needed to see if these patterns hold in other groups. They also want to investigate how fiber and high-quality carbs might help preserve health with age.

The takeaway? The choices you make in midlife—especially concerning carbs—could help you stay healthier and longer.

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