CARBOHYDRATE-RICH FOODS IN AN ASIAN POPULATION: DETERMINANTS OF FOOD CHOICE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH

Abstract

We evaluated the relationships between carbohydrate intake and long-term weight change and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) using a prospective cohort study design (n = 3064 for weight change; n = 12,408 for MACE), and explored attitudes towards carbohydrate-rich foods in a multi-ethnic Asian population using an online survey (n = 787) and focus group discussions (11 focus groups, n = 59). The replacement of 5% of energy from carbohydrates with protein was significantly associated with 0.44 kg less weight gain, while the replacement of carbohydrates with polyunsaturated fats was associated with a significant 21% lower MACE risk. Around half of the participants reported avoiding certain fruits because of its ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ properties and staple foods were perceived as the hardest component to change. Participants were open towards modifying staple foods for health, conditional on the ‘naturalness’, taste, affordability, and trustworthiness of health claims.