The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet in Combating Cardiovascular Disease
There is a lot of talk today about plant-based
diets, and how they appear to be beneficial in
combating many chronic diseases, including
obesity, high blood pressure, chronic kidney
disease, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). With
respect to CVD, people following a plant-based
diet may have less heart disease than those
following a diet that includes animal products.
Even people who have a high genetic risk of CVD
can benefit from a plant-based diet.
First of all, what exactly is a plant-based diet? Depending on who you talk to, a plant-based diet can be anything from a semi-vegetarian diet, consisting of very small portions of animal products, to a vegan diet, consisting of absolutely no animal products. At any rate, compared to diets that include animal products, plant-based diets appear to be significantly helpful in the treatment of CVD, and for lowering a person's risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and other unhealthy conditions.
In another study, it was found that “high animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor."
The benefits of a plant-based diet are even evident for those people who have a high genetic CVD risk profile. In a study consisting of 156,148 adult participants, who didn’t have CVD, it was found that adherence to a plant-based diet gradually decreased the risk of CVD even for those who had a high genetic risk of CVD. Indeed, investigators concluded that “adherence to healthy plant-based diets may be associated with a decreased incidence of CVD in the entire population, suggesting that plant-based diet patterns may modify the risk of CVD, regardless of genetic susceptibility.”
Indeed, there are indications that the use of a plant-based diet can improve health, in general, and CVD risk factors in particular. The evidence creates an opportunity for cardiologists and other healthcare providers. Therefore, healthcare providers should learn more about plant-based diets and how to counsel patients on the benefits to be gained from the diet.
First of all, what exactly is a plant-based diet? Depending on who you talk to, a plant-based diet can be anything from a semi-vegetarian diet, consisting of very small portions of animal products, to a vegan diet, consisting of absolutely no animal products. At any rate, compared to diets that include animal products, plant-based diets appear to be significantly helpful in the treatment of CVD, and for lowering a person's risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and other unhealthy conditions.
In another study, it was found that “high animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor."
The benefits of a plant-based diet are even evident for those people who have a high genetic CVD risk profile. In a study consisting of 156,148 adult participants, who didn’t have CVD, it was found that adherence to a plant-based diet gradually decreased the risk of CVD even for those who had a high genetic risk of CVD. Indeed, investigators concluded that “adherence to healthy plant-based diets may be associated with a decreased incidence of CVD in the entire population, suggesting that plant-based diet patterns may modify the risk of CVD, regardless of genetic susceptibility.”
Indeed, there are indications that the use of a plant-based diet can improve health, in general, and CVD risk factors in particular. The evidence creates an opportunity for cardiologists and other healthcare providers. Therefore, healthcare providers should learn more about plant-based diets and how to counsel patients on the benefits to be gained from the diet.
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