Plant-based diets lower the risk of most major diseases

In recent years, plant-based diets have garnered attention for their potential health benefits. Extensive research spanning two decades now suggests that vegetarian and vegan lifestyles could be linked to improved cardiovascular health and a lower risk of various diseases, including cancer.

The research, which involved a comprehensive review of 49 studies published between 2000 and 2023, offers new insights into how diet influences long-term health outcomes.

Health benefits of plant-based diets

The “umbrella” review conducted by the researchers allowed them to extract and synthesize data from multiple sources, focusing on how plant-based diets affect the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The findings reveal a strong statistical relationship between vegetarian and vegan diets and better management of several risk factors, including blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and body mass index (BMI).

Notably, plant-based diets are linked with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, as well as gastrointestinal and prostate cancers.

However, it’s not all definitive wins. The research pointed out that among pregnant women, vegetarian diets did not significantly alter the risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension when compared to non-plant-based diets.

The debate continues

Despite these promising findings, the researchers caution against a wholesale endorsement of plant-based diets for everyone.

The variation in results across studies – due to differences in diet specifics, participant demographics, and study durations – suggests that the overall benefits of plant-based diets need clearer definition.

Additionally, some vegetarian or vegan diets might lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, indicating potential drawbacks that must be considered.

Study lead author Angelo Capodici from the University of Bologna and his colleagues emphasize the need for further research to solidify their findings and address the gaps in our understanding of plant-based diets.

“Our study evaluates the different impacts of animal-free diets for cardiovascular health and cancer risk, showing how a vegetarian diet can be beneficial to human health and be one of the effective preventive strategies for the two most impactful chronic diseases on human health in the 21st century,” noted the researchers.

Significance of the study

“Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancer currently represent the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Studies performed on large cohorts worldwide have identified several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Among them, robust evidence supports diet as a major modifiable risk factor,” explained the study authors.

“A suboptimal diet, marked by insufficient consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, coupled with an excessive intake of meat (particularly red and processed), salt, refined grains and sugar, has been shown to notably elevate both mortality rates and disability-adjusted life years. Over time, these dietary choices have led to a concerning increase in health-related issues.”

“Additionally, the reduction of products of animal origin in favor of vegetarian ones has been suggested to reduce CVD and cancer risk.”

The future of dietary guidance

The analysis paints a generally positive picture of plant-based diets, associating them with significant health advantages. However, the complexities and variations found in the studies call for a more nuanced approach to dietary recommendations.

“By utilizing an umbrella review, the research enables the synthesis of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses, providing a higher level of evidence and summarizing a vast quantity of information,” wrote the study authors.

“Furthermore, its alignment with current health concerns, specifically targeting cardiovascular diseases and cancer, makes the study highly relevant to ongoing public health challenges and positions it as a valuable resource for informing preventive measures and dietary guidelines.”

As we continue to explore the connections between diet and health, it becomes increasingly clear that what works for one may not work for all.

Future studies are needed to build on these findings and help tailor dietary guidelines that can be broadly recommended, ensuring that they are beneficial without unintended health consequences.

More about plant-based diets

A plant-based diet focuses primarily on foods derived from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.

Plant-based diets are not only beneficial to human health by lowering the risk of serious diseases, but are also more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage.

The study is published in the journal PLoS ONE.

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