Recent research shows that healthy plant-based diets may lower heart disease risk and be better for heart health than standard low-fat diets.
The benefits of plant-based diets are many, especially when it comes to heart health. Packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and healthy, unsaturated fats, plant-based eating can help fight heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Evidence has long supported a plant-based diet and a low-fat diet to help protect the heart against cardiovascular disease (CVD). A recent study published in the American Society of Nutrition that followed more than 4,700 people over 30 years found that a plant-based diet was associated with a lower long-term risk for CVD. And both plant-based and low-fat diets were linked with lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
The study has received a lot of attention, as it shows that plant-based diets can lower LDL cholesterol and may even be better at protecting against CVD than standard low-fat diets. In the study, researchers looked at data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, specifically examining the participant’s diets, examining whether they were eating low-fat diets or plant-based diets, as well as the overall quality of their meals. In the study, which spanned three decades, the researchers determined that an increase in the intake of “nutritionally rich plant foods” and a decrease in the intake of less healthy plant foods (refined foods) and high-fat meats were linked to lower LDL cholesterol levels. A low-fat diet was also linked with lower LDL cholesterol levels. LDL, which is also commonly known as “bad cholesterol,” contributes to CVD risk. In contrast, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol helps to protect against CVD by removing free cholesterol from the bloodstream.
The researchers also determined the nutrient levels of participants’ diets and used the data during 32 years of follow-up, which documented the number of cases of CVD, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Risk reduction was greatest in those who followed a plant-based diet, leading to the conclusion that a nutritionally sound plant-based diet is beneficial for cardiovascular health, perhaps even more so than a low-fat diet regimen. Rather than focusing on a single component or nutrient, examining diet overall is more revealing. In fact, many of the healthy plant-based food sources that contain fat—avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds—may be heart protective, which may explain the benefits of plant-based eating.
Read more about the study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition here.
Learn more about eating a healthy plant-based diet here:
6 Tips for Boosting Protein on a Plant-Based Diet
What Supplements Should I Take for a Plant-Based Diet?
Eating a Plant-Based AND Gluten-Free Diet with Confidence
For other plant-based research updates, check out the following:
Plant-Based Diets Help Fight Stroke
Plant-Based Meat Alternatives are Healthy Swaps
Plant-Based Diets of All Kinds Offer Benefits
