The plant-based diet is good for heart health
“A plant-based diet can play an important role in reducing clogged arteries, thereby reducing the risk of heart and vascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack,” according to a study published today in the European Heart Journal.
As part of the new study, the researchers looked at 30 randomized trials published between 1982 and 2022, with a total of 2,372 participants. They examined the effects of a vegetarian or vegan diet compared with an omnivorous diet that includes animals and plants on:
-Total cholesterol
-Low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol
-Triglycerides; a type of fat or “lipid” found in the blood
-Apolipoprotein B, also known as apoB, a protein that helps carry fat and cholesterol in the blood
This is the first meta-analysis on the topic published since 2017, and the first to look at the effects of continent, age, body mass index and health status, as well as the effect of diet on concentrations of apoB — a harmful fat in the body and a good indicator of total cholesterol.
Benefits of a plant-based diet.
“We found that vegetarian and vegan diets were associated with a 14 percent reduction in all artery-clogging lipoproteins, as shown by apolipoprotein B. This is equivalent to a third of the effect of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins, if A person who maintains a plant-based diet for five years also reduces their risk of cardiovascular disease by 7 percent,” Dr. Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, chief physician at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, said in a press release.
Frikke-Schmidt also stated that statin therapy, a group of drugs that help lower LDL cholesterol, is “superior” to plant-based diets in reducing fat and cholesterol levels; however, “one regimen does not exclude the other.” One approach, combining statins with a plant-based diet may have a synergistic effect, resulting in a greater beneficial effect.”
Compared with the omnivorous group, those who ate the plant-based diet had an average 7% reduction in total cholesterol levels; 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol levels; and 14% reduction in apoB levels from levels recorded at the start of the study.
Global impact.
Research has shown that plant-based diets, in addition to their benefits for human health, also have a positive impact on the environment.
“Recent meta-analyses found that if populations in high-income countries switched to plant-based diets, this could reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 35% to 49%. Our study provides strong evidence that plant-based diets contribute to different There are health benefits for people of size, age and health,” says Frikke-Schmidt.
Lacto-ovo and vegan diets may even help offset the rising costs of age-related diseases from an aging global population, experts say.
Frikke-Schmidt said: “Plant-based diets are a key tool for shifting food production to more environmentally sustainable forms while reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease. We should be eating a varied, plant-rich diet.”
