Researchers at Ashoka University in Haryana have highlighted the potential negative impacts of a high-carbohydrate diet on human health.

The study, conducted at the Integrated Genetics and Evolution Laboratory (IGEL) of the Department of Biology, has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution.

These experiments were conducted on fruit flies to essentially understand what negative effects a high carbohydrate diet could have on human health.

“Our study found that a high-carbohydrate diet had multiple negative effects on fruit flies. It decreased their lifespan, accelerated functional decline, and led to deterioration in their body structure and behaviour in late life,” study co-author Dr Sudipta Tung told IndiaToday.in.

Fruit flies are commonly used in biomedical research, especially genomic research, providing important clues about how a process may develop in mammals or humans.

For example, about 75% of the genes that are known to cause disease in humans are also found in these flies, and more than 90% of these include genes that can cause cancer in humans.

The research highlighted that flies fed a high-carbohydrate diet had a shorter lifespan, older male flies showed reduced mobility, and older female flies had poorer gut health.

Additionally, high carbohydrate diets delay growth and reduce fertility, indicating significant detrimental effects on both early and late life stages.

Dr. Tung emphasized the relevance of these findings to human health, even when comparing fruit flies to humans.

“Although fruit flies are much simpler organisms than humans, they have many genetic and physiological similarities, making them valuable models for studying basic biological processes,” he said.

The study highlights the importance of diet composition and the potential risks associated with high carbohydrate intake.

This includes metabolic diseases, decreased physical activity, and impaired health in later life.

Dr. Tung said, “Understanding these mechanisms in fruit flies in detail may help us better understand how macronutrient composition affects human health. This knowledge may improve dietary recommendations and public health guidelines and inform strategies to address growing concerns about metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.”

The findings of this study will also have significant implications on current dietary recommendations and public health guidelines.

Dr. Tung suggested that public health guidelines should emphasize not only the calorie content of the diet but also the macronutrient composition to prevent metabolic disorders and promote healthy aging.

“Reducing excessive carbohydrate intake and ensuring a balanced diet with appropriate protein levels may be important in reducing health risks and improving health span,” he advised.

Looking to the future, Dr. Tung outlined several next steps for his research that could influence future studies or clinical trials related to diet and aging in humans.

The researchers said the aim of the study is to contribute to more accurate risk assessments for metabolic disorders in large-scale studies and to perform inter-species comparisons to validate the findings and explore their relevance across different species.

Ultimately, he plans to design and implement dietary intervention studies and clinical trials in humans to test the effects of macronutrient composition on aging and metabolic health.

Dr. Tung concluded, “By advancing our understanding of how diet affects health and aging, our research can inform future studies and clinical trials, leading to better dietary guidelines, public health strategies, and personalized nutrition plans aimed at promoting long-term health and preventing diet-related diseases.”