Plant-Based Diets Reduce Heart Disease Risk Factors

Plant-based diets reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and other heart disease risk factors more effectively than medications, according to two new studies published in the journals Clinical Cardiology and Circulation. Thirty-one participants adopted a plant-based diet while researchers tracked their anthropometric data. After 4 weeks, the authors observed reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and medication use and other improvements including insulin sensitivity, heart rate, C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation), and weight loss. Data also showed improvements in lipoproteins associated with plaque formations in overweight and obese individuals with high cholesterol. These data support plant-based diets and other lifestyle interventions as effective means for cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention.