Harvard study reveals healthiest way to consume carbohydrates

A Harvard study found eating a well balanced diet, which included carbohydrates in moderation, is the healthiest, the Daily Mail reported.

In a study that included 15,400 people, researchers also found too much or too little of it can damage your health.

Cutting out potatoes and pasta or consuming an excess amount won't do any good to your body and increase the risk of an early death.

However, the key is eating it in moderation and incorporating vegetables, lentils and nuts to your diet.

"We need to look really carefully at what are the healthy compounds in diets that provide protection," Dr Sara Seidelmann, a researcher of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told the Daily Mail.

Adding, "Low-carb diets that replace carbohydrates with protein or fat are gaining widespread popularity as a health and weight loss strategy.

"However, our data suggests that animal-based low carbohydrate diets, which are prevalent in North America and Europe, might be associated with shorter overall life span and should be discouraged."

Researchers believe the findings help us better understand the link between "specific components of diet and long-term health".

The study was originally published in the Lancet Public Health journal.