Health
Carbohydrates and fiber linked to healthier aging in some groups, study finds
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Carbohydrates may have gotten a bad rap, but a new study from Tufts University finds that some are better than others — and that older women in particular could reap the benefits.
The research, which was recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that daily consumption of fiber and “high-quality” carbs in midlife can contribute to healthier aging and overall better wellness among older females.
The researchers defined “healthy aging” as “the absence of 11 major chronic diseases, lack of cognitive and physical function impairments, and having good mental health.”
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The study was led by researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“The main takeaway of the study is that consuming dietary fiber and high-quality carbohydrates — those from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — is associated with positive health status in older adulthood,” lead author Andres Ardisson Korat, a scientist at HNRCA, told Fox News Digital.
Daily consumption of fiber and high-quality carbs in midlife can contribute to healthier aging and overall better wellness among older females. (iStock)
“This includes the absence of chronic diseases and good physical and cognitive function.”
The researchers collected data from the Nurses’ Health Study, in which 47,000 women reported their dietary habits and health outcomes between 1984 and 2016, according to a Tufts press release.
The women ranged in age from 70 to 93 by the end of the study period.
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The researchers looked at the women’s consumption of dietary fiber, total carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates, high-quality (unrefined) carbohydrates, and carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
They also analyzed glycemic index (each food’s score indicating how much it raises blood sugar) and glycemic load, which also takes into account portion size to provide a more accurate measure of each food’s impact on blood sugar.
“It’s not just about ‘carbs versus fats versus protein’ — it’s about what kind of carbs you’re eating.”
Women who consumed higher amounts of total carbohydrates; high-quality carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes; and total dietary fiber in midlife were 6% to 37% more likely to have healthy aging and to score higher in several areas of mental and physical wellness, the study found.
Conversely, consuming refined carbohydrates — which come from added sugars, refined grains and potatoes — and starchy vegetables resulted in a 13% reduced chance of healthy aging.
Quality over quantity
“This study reinforces something many of us intuitively feel: quality matters,” noted Melanie Avalon, a health influencer, entrepreneur and biohacker based in Atlanta, Georgia.
“It’s not just about ‘carbs versus fats versus protein’ — it’s about the kind of carbs you’re eating.”
The researchers looked at the women’s consumption of dietary fiber, total carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates, high-quality (unrefined) carbohydrates, and carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. (iStock)
Avalon, who was not involved in the research, discussed some of the more notable findings with Fox News Digital.
“Perhaps most surprising was the finding that replacing just 5% of calories from carbohydrates with protein (from either plant or animal sources) was associated with lower odds of healthy aging by 7% to 37%,” she said.
HEALTHY EATING IN MIDDLE AGE HAS THIS KEY LONGEVITY BENEFIT
Avalon also noted that when carbohydrates were segmented by type — processed versus unprocessed — the associations with healthy aging were independent of BMI (body mass index), a metric typically closely linked to metabolic health.
“This suggests the effects of carbohydrate quality on healthy aging were not solely explained by weight-loss effects,” she said.
Based on the study findings, experts recommend focusing on whole, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. (iStock)
The study also briefly touched on the controversial topic of seed oils.
“It found that higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) — which are commonly found in seed oils — was linked to decreased odds of healthy aging, adding nuance to the ongoing debate,” Avalon added.
Based on the study findings, the biohacker recommends favoring whole, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
“Shop the perimeter of the grocery store for produce and whole grains, as well as the freezer aisles for frozen fruit and vegetables,” she suggested. “Consider dipping into the aisles only for pantry staples like canned legumes.”
For those who tolerate grains, people can reap the benefits of foods like quinoa, brown rice, oats and whole wheat products, Avalon noted.
“Prioritize fiber-rich foods and minimize refined carbohydrates like white bread, sugary beverages and ultraprocessed snacks,” an expert advised. (iStock)
“Prioritize fiber-rich foods and minimize refined carbohydrates like white bread, sugary beverages and ultraprocessed snacks.”
“These shifts can meaningfully support healthy aging and reduce the risk of chronic disease.”
Limitations and future research
One chief limitation of the study is that the participants were mainly white female healthcare workers.
“Because of the observational nature of the study, we cannot rule out confounding by other variables,” Korat said. “We would have liked to have data on men to evaluate the associations in this group.”
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The researchers called for more diverse studies that look closer at how dietary fiber and high-quality carbs contribute to healthy aging.
“We hope our findings help inform consumers about the importance of healthy diets in the promotion of healthy aging,” Korat added.
“Personalized nutrition, grounded in both science and self-awareness, may be key to thriving across the decades.”
“The more we can understand about healthy aging, the more science can help people live healthier for longer.”
Avalon added that while diet is “foundational,” it’s just one piece of the “healthy aging puzzle.”
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“Exercise, sleep, stress management and social connection all play a role,” she said.
“Ultimately, personalized nutrition, grounded in both science and self-awareness, may be key to thriving across the decades.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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