A new study has found that life expectancy can be increased by avoiding starchy snacks, with the consumption of fruits, vegetables, or dairy products in certain meals linked to reduced risk of early death. The study, published in the American Heart Association journal, revealed that starchy snacks, notably those high in white potatoes or other starches consumed after meals, are associated with at least a 50% increased risk of death, and a 44% to 57% increase in deaths related to cardiovascular diseases.
However, consuming fruits, vegetables, or dairy products in certain meals is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or other causes. Ying Li, the lead author of the study and a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China, stated, “People are increasingly concerned about what they eat and when they eat it, and our team sought to better understand the impacts of different foods when consumed in specific meals.”
Li and colleagues analyzed data from 21,503 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2014 in the United States to assess dietary patterns across all meals. Among the study community, 51% of the participants were women, and all participants were 30 years or older at the start of the study, according to the British newspaper Express.
To determine patient outcomes, the researchers utilized the National Death Index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track participants who died by December 31, 2015, due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or other causes.
The researchers classified participants' dietary patterns by analyzing the types of foods they consumed in different meals. For main meals, three primary breakfast patterns were identified: Western breakfast, starchy breakfast, and fruit breakfast. The primary lunch patterns were identified as Western lunch, plant-based lunch, and fruit lunch. The primary dinner patterns were categorized as Western dinner, vegetable dinner, and fruit dinner. For snacks, the main snack patterns included grain snacks, starchy snacks, fruit snacks, and dairy snacks. Additionally, participants who did not fit any specific meal patterns were analyzed as a reference group.
Li stated, “Our results showed that the quantity and timing of consuming different types of foods are equally important for maintaining optimal health, and future nutrition guidelines and intervention strategies could incorporate optimal consumption times for foods throughout the day.”
