Plant-based diet may reduce risk of heart disease by up to 52%, study finds

A largely vegan diet made up of plant-based foods can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 52%, according to a new study.

A variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy products, skinless fish and chicken, nuts and legumes are all essential for avoiding health problems later in life.

Conversely, researchers advise young adults to limit saturated fat, salt, red meat, sweets and sugary drinks to prevent heart attacks in middle age.

While they haven’t looked into the reason for this link, previous research suggests that plant-based diets may lower your blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and help you lose weight – all risk factors for disease. cardiac.

Scroll down for video

The long-term study, led by scientists at the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, looked at the diets of some 5,000 people over a 30-year period and whether they developed a cardiac disease.

They weren’t told what to eat. Instead, the quality of their diet was assessed at the start of the study and then after seven years and 20 years based on the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS).

The APDQS consisted of 46 food groups divided into beneficial foods (such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains); junk foods (such as fried potatoes, high fat red meat, salty snacks, pastries and soft drinks); and neutral foods (such as potatoes, refined grains, lean meats and shellfish).

This was done based on their links to heart disease.

People who scored higher ate a variety of beneficial foods that were largely plant-based, while those with lower scores ate more harmful foods.

During the 32-year follow-up, the researchers found that 289 people involved in the study had developed heart disease (including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, chest pain related to the heart or arteries. blocked).

They also found that those who scored in the top 20% on the long-term diet quality score (meaning they ate the most nutrient-dense plant foods and less animal products. poorly scored) were 52% less likely to develop heart disease.

Meanwhile, between the seventh and the 20th year of the study, when participants’ ages ranged from 25 to 50, those who improved the quality of their diet the most were 61% less likely to develop heart disease. , compared to those whose food quality has decreased the most during this time.

There were few vegetarians among the participants, so the study was unable to assess the possible benefits of a strict vegetarian diet, which excludes meat and fish.

“A nutrient-dense, plant-centered diet is beneficial for cardiovascular health,” said lead author Yuni Choi.

“A plant-centered diet doesn’t have to be vegetarian. People can choose from plant foods that are as natural as possible, not highly processed.

“We believe that individuals can include animal products in moderation from time to time, such as un-fried poultry, un-fried fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.”

Another author, David E. Jacobs, said: “Unlike existing diet quality scores which are typically based on a small number of food groups, APDQS explicitly captures overall diet quality by using 46 individual food groups, describing the overall diet that the general population commonly consumes.

“Our rating is very comprehensive and has many similarities to diets such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Healthy Eating Index (from the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture), the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and the Mediterranean diet. ‘

Meanwhile, a separate study published last month found that consuming red and processed meats like bacon, sausage, and ham can dramatically increase the risk of developing heart disease.

Analyzing data from 13 different studies involving 1.4 million people allowed the University of Oxford team to examine the impact of meat on health.

They found that for every 50g per day of processed meat, such as bacon, ham and sausages consumed, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 18%.

For unprocessed meats such as pork, lamb and beef, the risk increased by nine percent compared to no red meat. There was no increased risk with poultry.

The team says their study did not investigate the cause, but suggests that it could be due to higher concentrations of saturated fat in red meat and salt in processed meat.

The latest study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.