--- title: Low-Carb Diet: description: Keeping up with the carb-bashing can be tough. One day they're in, the next day they're on the chopping block. Evidence continues to pile up... canonical: https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-05T16:52:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T03:14:59.111Z article:section: Health og:title: Low-Carb Diet: og:description: Keeping up with the carb-bashing can be tough. One day they're in, the next day they're on the chopping block. Evidence continues to pile up... og:url: https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27fda617136689dd/698777f0428a9e7fd6cc65e0/carbs-wheat-toast.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: wheat toast og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Low-Carb Diet: twitter:description: Keeping up with the carb-bashing can be tough. One day they're in, the next day they're on the chopping block. Evidence continues to pile up... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27fda617136689dd/698777f0428a9e7fd6cc65e0/carbs-wheat-toast.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Kind of Carb Protects Your Heart, Study Says ## Video: The Truth About Fat [Watch (HLS stream): The Truth About Fat](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uYGhfNfS.m3u8) (5:15)  _Published 2014-06-12. When you want to lose weight or get healthy, what is the first thing you would normally cut from your diet? If you said fat, you're not alone_  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 5, 2015 4:52 PM UTC  Whole wheat toast Whole wheat toastGetty Images  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Jan 5, 2015 4:52 PM UTC Keeping up with the carb-bashing can be tough. One day they’re in, the next day they’re on the chopping block. Evidence continues to pile up that a carb-heavy diet is hard not just on your waistline but also your heart—[regardless of where that carb may fall on the glycemic index](http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/), according to a recent study. But that’s not license to give up all grains quite yet. A diet that includes whole grains may help protect your heart, finds new [research](http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6283) published Monday in _JAMA Internal_ _Medicine_. Researchers looked at data gathered from two large studies of about 118,000 men and women. No one had cancer or cardiovascular disease when they began. Measuring diet habits and food intake by questionnaire every two to four years, researchers found that higher whole grain intake was linked with a lower cardiovascular mortality and total mortality. However, more whole grains weren’t associated with a drop in cancer mortality. **MORE**: [8 Awesome Whole Grains You’re Not Eating](http://time.com/3589861/awesome-whole-grains/) The study authors estimate that every 28 gram-per-day serving of whole grains was associated with a 9% lower rate of death from cardiovascular disease and a 5% lower rate of death from any cause. “These results are in line with recommendations that promote increased whole grain consumption to facilitate disease prevention,” the authors write. Though more evidence from both sides is sure to come about carbs and heart health, it’s best to remember the simple mantra: eat real food. We need every type of nutrient group, so it might be the _kind_ of carb you choose that counts the most. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/"},"headline":"This Kind of Carb Protects Your Heart, Study Says","datePublished":"2015-01-05T16:52:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:14:59.111Z","description":"Keeping up with the carb-bashing can be tough. One day they're in, the next day they're on the chopping block. Evidence continues to pile up...","url":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","carbohydrates","Carbs"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27fda617136689dd/698777f0428a9e7fd6cc65e0/carbs-wheat-toast.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27fda617136689dd/698777f0428a9e7fd6cc65e0/carbs-wheat-toast.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"wheat toast","caption":"wheat toast","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/","name":"This Kind of Carb Protects Your Heart, Study Says"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Truth About Fat","description":"When you want to lose weight or get healthy, what is the first thing you would normally cut from your diet? If you said fat, you're not alone","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uYGhfNfS/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-06-12T14:12:58.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uYGhfNfS.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/","duration":"PT5M15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3652624/carb-carbohydrate-diet/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```