
900,000 Studied: The Truth About Low-Carb and Early Death
Physionic
Oct 20, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Redefine low-carb diets for accurate analysis
Many studies analyzing "low-carbohydrate" diets define them with carbohydrate intakes as high as 46% of total calories, which doesn't reflect a true low-carb or ketogenic diet.
Moderate animal protein on low-carb diet reduces mortality risk
Contrary to a simple good/bad narrative, a moderate amount of animal protein on a lower-carbohydrate diet is associated with reduced mortality risk, a benefit that disappears with higher consumption.
Aim for 12% of calories from animal protein on low-carb diet
Based on trends in the data, an educated guess for optimal animal protein intake on a low-carb diet is around 12% of total calories, or 60 grams on a 2000-calorie diet.
Choose high-quality, fiber-rich carbs on a low-carb diet
With the limited carbohydrate allotment on a lower-carb diet, it's crucial to choose high-quality, fiber-rich sources whenever possible.
Conduct dedicated research for true ketogenic diet applicability
The conclusions from these studies may not be applicable to individuals on a true ketogenic diet, as they are in a different physiological state that requires its own dedicated research.
Emphasize plants in low-carb diets for optimal health
The most protective low-carbohydrate diets involve consuming a small to moderate amount of animal protein and fats while heavily emphasizing vegetables and other plant-based sources.
Choose healthy, plant-focused low-carb diets to reduce mortality risk
A low-carbohydrate diet can either increase or decrease mortality risk depending on its composition, with healthy, plant-focused versions reducing risk and unhealthy, animal-heavy versions increasing it.
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