Cambridge, Massachusetts - Foods like pasta, rice, and, potatoes may be on the table more frequently! According to a new study, carbohydrates have an unjustly bad reputation. They may be far more important than is currently socially accepted.

Whether for personal well-being or a societal zeitgeist, when it comes to carbohydrates, many minds are divided.

As reported in the Journal of Internal Medicine, researchers at Harvard University and Tulane University have raised eyebrows with their startling results on the long-term effects of a low-carbohydrate diet.

Contrary to the often common impression that carbohydrates have a harmful effect on the human body, the study was able to prove the opposite.

Basically, this means that the absence of carbohydrates from the diet increases the risk of death by a whopping 38%!

The study came to the conclusion that subjects who abstained from a low-carbohydrate diet had significantly worse prognoses with regard to their life expectancy than the subjects who lived a low-fat diet.

These findings may upset low-carb advocates and those who follow a Keto lifestyle, which is a a high-fat, low-carb diet.

Researchers see the greatest risk with saturated fatty acids. However, the health breakdown is much better with unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in nuts, fish, and oils, and significantly contribute to a balanced diet.

Ultimately, most medical experts agree that radical diets should be treated with caution, and should only ever be utilized after consulting a doctor.

Anyone who once had a guilty conscience after eating pasta and co. can now do so with a clear – and healthy – conscience.