Men and women of all races and ethnicities in the United States die from heart disease at alarmingly high rates. One out of every five deaths in the US is caused by heart disease. It claims the life of one American every 34 seconds. Yet, heart disease is preventable.Eating a heart-healthy diet that is primarily based on plants and being physically active on a daily basis can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease. Please keep reading if you want to learn why plant-based diets are beneficial for your heart.
What is a plant-based diet?
According to research, healthy eating patterns consist primarily of whole foods and a diet centered on plant-based nutrition. “Whole food” means food that is not highly processed. Whole foods include items such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, poultry, fish, and eggs. So, while lemon, potato, and chicken drumsticks are whole foods, bottled lemonade, potato chips, and chicken nuggets are highly processed foods.
A diet is "plant-based" if the majority of the food consumed comes from plant sources, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than animal sources like meat and dairy. A plant-based diet does not necessarily have to be vegetarian or vegan. There is some flexibility to consume animal-based foods like dairy, eggs, fish, poultry, and meat in moderation. To do this, you should shift to a diet in which "most" of your calories come from plants.
Why do doctors recommend a plant-based diet?
It has been scientifically established that plant-based diets lower the risk of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. People with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease can greatly benefit from switching to a plant-based diet. In addition to these health benefits, a plant-based diet with restricted intake of animal foods has been associated with better sleep, reduced risk of mental health disorders, a decreased rate of cognitive decline in older persons, and an overall improvement in quality of life.
Do cardiologists recommend a plant-based diet?
Many cardiologists recommend a plant-based diet as a way to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. Many cardiologists suggest a plant-based diet as part of a broader approach to preventing or managing heart disease. This is because animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy contain saturated fat, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, whereas plant-based diets are generally high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Plant-based diets have been demonstrated to benefit cardiovascular health in a number of ways, including reduced blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and an improved blood lipid profile. In fact, a plant-based diet is one of the dietary patterns recommended by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association to improve cardiovascular health. Plant-based diets have been linked in certain research to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and, fascinatingly, even reverse the disease itself.
How does a plant-based diet help the heart?
Eating a plant-based diet (with a limited intake of animal products) can lower your risk of heart disease, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders. A plant-based diet can help lower LDL cholesterol levels, which is important for heart health. Cholesterol is highly concentrated in animal-based foods, so consuming a plant-based diet can eliminate this source of cholesterol. Besides, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease.
Plant-based diets are rich in potassium, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure. Also, chronic inflammation is linked to increased risks of developing heart diseases, and since plant-based diets are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, they can help reduce inflammation in the body. Moreover, a plant-based diet can help with weight management and obesity, which are important for heart health.
Interestingly, many diets that can lower your heart disease risk, such as the DASH, Mediterranean, and MIND diets, encourage a higher intake of plant-based foods. What’s more, you don’t need to follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet. Not only do plant-based diets lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and prevent stroke, but they can also reduce the need for medications, such as antihypertensives and cholesterol-lowering medications, and may even reverse heart disease.
Are all plant-based diets healthy?
Incorporating more plant-based diets and decreasing the consumption of animal foods has been linked to numerous improvements in cardiovascular health. Experts in public health and cardiology stress the need of choosing the correct "healthful" plant-based diet rich in whole foods (unprocessed).
For example, white bread and white rice are plant-based foods but are highly processed and have a high glycemic index (they can make your blood sugar levels spike). Similarly, drinking a glass of bottled orange juice differs from eating a fresh orange. A lot of bottled drinks and canned veggies are loaded with salt and sugar and are low in nutritional value from a lack of fiber and vitamins.
The goal, therefore, should be:
- Higher intake of healthy plant foods (eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy oils like olive oil).
- Eat fewer animal-based foods like dairy, eggs, fish, poultry, and meat.
- Eat less processed plant foods like refined grains, pasta, white rice, breads, cereals, potato chips, French fries, fruit juices, and sugar-sweetened beverages (this is an unhealthful plant-based diet).
- Lower intake of highly processed foods that contain animal products, such as cakes, cookies, fried foods, canned soups, and frozen pizzas.
How to eat a plant-based diet to prevent coronary heart disease?
The My Plate initiative by the United States government provides a straightforward framework for consuming a diet rich in plant-based foods that is good for your heart. One way to accomplish this is to fill half your plate with plant-based foods (such as veggies), a quarter with whole grains, and the other quarter with protein of any kind. Following this eating plan guarantees that 75% of your daily calories come from plant-based foods.
Switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet all at once can feel like an intimidating lifestyle change for people who are used to eating meat. It is simpler to take small steps, such as decreasing the quality of processed and red meat you consume and replacing it with foods high in plant-based protein, such as nuts, legumes, dairy products, eggs, fish, and chicken, which can make a huge impact. Small steps are more likely to result in significant long-term adherence to a plant-based diet.
For example, try substituting a glass of water for that can of soda you have at lunch or reducing the amount of red meat you eat to no more than twice a week rather than eating it every day (the daily consumption of 100 grams of red meat is linked to a 19% increased risk of coronary heart disease, and just 50 grams of processed meat such as ham, sausages, and hot dogs in a day is associated with a 44% higher cardiovascular disease risk). Interestingly, studies on cardiovascular health have not demonstrated any benefit of consuming low-fat dairy over full-fat dairy in restricted amounts (a few times every week), so you are free to consume whichever type of dairy you enjoy.
Takeaway
For optimal heart health, try adopting a plant-based diet. Plant-based diets are popular because they are convenient, inexpensive, and tasty. To ensure that your heart-healthy diet becomes a permanent part of your routine, it is best to ease into it gradually by increasing the amount of plant foods you eat.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm#
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9963093/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/#
- https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/study-explains-why-food-high-in-saturated-fat-may-lead-to-plaque-build-up-in-arteries/2021/08
- https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/118/5/1188/6314360?login=false
- https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/08/04/eating-a-plant-based-diet-at-any-age-may-lower-cardiovascular-risk
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8604150/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9189580/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4315380/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6320919/
- https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.06.006
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7613518/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34684342/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7692016/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9228303/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030119/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6944192
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8210981/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9493195/
