Plant-based Diets Lower The Risk Of Atherosclerosis - New Study

Eating more plant-based foods can lower risk for CVD and atherosclerosis compared with diets higher meat and dairy products, according to a study review published in Cardiovascular Research.

The scientists analysed cohort studies in order to summarise the evidence and develop a dietary strategy to prevent atherosclerosis. No food is specifically responsible for the disease but increased consumption of foods reach in animal fats may cause it. 

“There is no indication that any food is poison in terms of cardiovascular risk. It’s a matter of quantity and frequency of consumption,” Gabriele Riccardi, MD, professor of endocrinology at the Federico II University of Naples in Italy, said in a press release. “A mistake we made in the past was to consider one dietary component the enemy and the only thing we had to change. Instead, we need to look at diets as a whole and if we reduce the amount of one food, it is important to choose a healthy replacement."

Researchers linked eating more plant-based foods and reducing consumption of animal-based foods and salt to lower risk of atherosclerosis. Also replacing dairy butter with vegetables oils (except coconut and palm oils) gave similar results. There is evidence that eating red meat such as beef, pork and lamb and processed meats is associated with increased risk of Cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consumption of poultry, fish and dairy had no negative influence for atherosclerosis but researches recommend to replace animal-based protein with legumes and higher glycemic index foods such as white bread and white rice with low glycemic index products such as whole grains, oats, barley, pasta and corn. 

Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits (400 g per day) and nut consumption (30 g per day) is significantly beneficial in lowering atherosclerosis and CVD risk.

Drinking three cups of coffee and tea a day was associated with reduced risk for CVD, as well as limited consumption of alcohol. Having wine (one glass per day for women, two glasses for men) or beer (one glass per day) was also associated with lower risk for CVD compared with higher or no consumption. However drinking soft drinks was associated with higher CVD risk, therefore they should be replaced with water.

According to the researchers, moderate consumption of dark chocolate (10g per day) is also significant to lower risk for CVD. Dark chocolate it's much healthier because it contains no dairy, added sugar, and less saturated fats. 

Read more about healthy vegan lifestyle and the Benefits Of Plant-based Diet on TheVeganKind Health where doctors and dieticians from Plant Based Health Online write about health related topics.