“Association of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets With Mortality Among US Adults” in JAMA, January 2020 – brief comments

Study from JAMA, published in January.

Basic conclusions:

1. Neither OVERALL low-carb nor low-fat diet scores associated with overall mortality;
2. UNHEALTHY low-carb and low-fat both associated with higher mortality;
3. HEALTHY low-carb and low-fat both associated with lower mortality.

Yet, the highest quintile for the low-carbohydrate diet score had a 46% carbohydrate intake, while the highest quintile for the low-fat diet score had a 56% carbohydrate intake. So very different carbohydrate intakes are not really being compared. See below:

Overall, strange paper.