Plant-based diets lower risk of heart attack and stroke—going 100% vegan not necessary to see benefits
![Following a plant-based diet can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dying from cardiovascular causes, according to new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.[1] The study’s authors emphasized that a person can still occasionally eat meat, fish or dairy products and still see substantial benefits—the key is to keep such things to a minimum and embrace fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, teas and coffees.](/sites/default/files/styles/top_stories/public/2019-06/fruit-2305192_960_720.jpg.webp?itok=Fp0A6eiO)
Following a plant-based diet can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dying from cardiovascular causes, according to new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.[1] The study’s authors emphasized that a person can still occasionally eat meat, fish or dairy products and still see substantial benefits—the key is to keep such things to a minimum and embrace fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, teas and coffees.
“Various dietary guidelines, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommend a dietary pattern with higher consumption of plant foods and lower consumption of animal foods for the prevention of CVD,” wrote first author Yanping Li, MD, PhD, with the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and colleagues. “However, a majority of earlier studies was limited by a dichotomous definition of plant-based diet, that is, entirely excluding certain groups of (eg, red meat and poultry) or all animal foods. This definition limited the applicability of study findings in U.S. populations given the fact less than 3% of the U.S. population are vegetarians. Dietary indices that can evaluate the gradients of adherence to a plant-based diet are warranted to study the health effects of this dietary pattern in general populations.”
Li et al. explored data from nearly 150,000 U.S. veterans who participated in the Million Veteran Program, a national effort to track the impact different diets can have on a person’s health. After studying each patient’s eating habits and tracking up to eight years of follow-up data, the group identified 5,025 CVD events. This included 2,167 deaths from CVD, 1,676 nonfatal myocardial infarctions and 1,261 cases of acute ischemic stroke.
One key difference between this analysis and prior studies was the fact that the researchers used a Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI) to score how closely each individual person adhered to such a diet. Eating more plant-based foods, as one might expect, resulted in a higher PDI score.
Overall, after making certain adjustments due to confounding variables, a higher PDI was significantly associated with a lower risk of experiencing a fatal or nonfatal CVD event. The researchers added that it is important to be flexible; excluding food groups altogether can make adhering to any diet for a long period of time much more challenging.
Also, the research showed that eating too many unhealthy plant-based foods can eliminate any potential benefits and lead to weight gain
“Adherence to a plant-based dietary pattern that includes many unhealthy plant foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages and refined grains, could lead to higher risk of fatal CVD,” the authors wrote. “These findings support recommending plant-based diet rich in healthier plant foods for the prevention of CVD.”
Click here to read the full study.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.