Plant-based foods lower heart disease risk

Plant-based diets lower your risk of heart disease.

Looking to improve your health? Eating more plant-based foods can reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Plant-based recipes

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Sandwich

Sandwich filled with roasted vegetables, pesto, cherry tomatos, and fresh greens in a bun, being held by a hand over top of a wooden cutting board.

Nutrient-Dense Breakfast Smoothie

Blender filled with an unblended green smoothie made from leafy greens and fruits, being held by someone's hand in a kitchen.

Eating more plant-based foods lowers your risk of heart disease.

Eating more plant-based foods has been shown in a number of studies to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and other chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes.

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that people who consumed large amounts of meat protein experienced a 60-percent increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), while people who consumed large amounts of protein from nuts and seeds experienced a 40-percent reduction in CVD.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has stated that:

[A]ppropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.

Learn more about how shifting toward a plant-based diet can help improve your health.