Reduce the risk of these 8 diseases with a healthy vegan diet

A vegan diet is often either denigrated by its detractors or championed by its passionate proponents. Tabloid headlines make it seem as if following a plant-based diet will push you into an early grave due to malnourishment but, as you know, you can’t always believe what you read on social media or in the newspapers. When it comes to understanding the effects of diet on disease risk, the only reliable place to go is to the latest research. Here is some of the most recent and thorough science investigating the link between plant-based diets and disease risk. If you’re not following a plant-based diet yet, this might convince you to make the switch.

1. Heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, and one of the leading causes in the UK, so avoiding it should be everyone’s priority. Heart disease is caused by several factors, including genetics and lifestyle. Fortunately, a healthy plant-based diet is a great strategy to reduce your risk. A 2023 review found that vegan diets are “associated with improvements in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality” and a 2025 review agreed that “plant-based diets can improve cardiovascular health by reducing cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular events.” A plant-based diet is the heart-healthy choice!

2. Type 2 diabetes

Cases of type 2 diabetes in the UK have been increasing in recent years but for many people, it is a condition that can be avoided, managed and even reversed by following a healthy plant-based diet. Reviews from 2017, 2021 and 2025 agree that following a plant-based diet can not only mitigate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes but is also highly effective in its treatment. The 2021 review concludes that “the consumption of whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables in conjunction with the elimination of animal products reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (…) Health care providers should feel confident in counselling their patients to follow a plant-based eating pattern.” So, if you’re pre-diabetic or already suffering from type 2 diabetes, or just want to avoid it entirely, plant-based is the best type of diet for you!

3. Some cancers

For many people, cancer is understandably one of the scariest words in the English language. It’s certainly a diagnosis we’d all like to avoid and a plant-based diet can help us do that when it comes to some types of cancer. A 2022 review, based on data from over three million people, found that a healthy plant-based diet plays a protective role against cancers of the digestive system. The researchers determined that the risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer were significantly reduced in those following a plant-based diet. There is also evidence that long-term adherence to a healthy, but not unhealthy, vegan diet can reduce the risk and recurrence of breast cancer in women. This may be related to the prominence of soya in a plant-based diet, which “can reduce the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women,” according to a 2022 review.

4. Obesity

The Government estimates that between 2023 and 2024, 64.5 per cent of adults in England were overweight or living with obesity. Obesity not only impacts social and mental wellbeing but also increases the risk of many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea and some cancers. Fortunately, a healthy plant-based diet has proven to be effective for weight loss and long-term weight management. A 2024 review found that plant-based diets “result in significant weight loss and improve metabolic outcomes [and] offer a sustainable approach to long-term weight loss maintenance.” The researchers put this down to the “low caloric density, reduced fat content, and increased fibre content” of plants.

5. High blood pressure

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is the leading risk factor for heart disease. While many factors beyond our control can affect blood pressure, including age, ethnicity and gender, there are also lifestyle factors that we can control – such as our diet and weight. When you switch from a traditional Western diet to a healthy plant-based diet, you are not only removing saturated fats and salt from your plate, but you are also consuming more foods with hypotensive properties (ie that have blood pressure-lowering effects) such as potassium and polyphenols. As we have already seen above, plant-based diets are also effective for weight loss, which significantly lowers blood pressure. A 2023 review concluded that “plant-based diets are associated with lower blood pressure and overall better health outcomes (namely, on the cardiovascular system) when compared with animal-based diets.”

6. Skin conditions

Skin isn’t just affected by what happens on the outside but also what’s happening on the inside of our bodies and, according to a 2023 article in Clinics in Dermatology, “there may be many benefits of a vegan diet for patients with acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.” A 2023 review investigated the effects of a plant-based diet on many aspects on skin health and the researchers concluded: “The positive effects [of a plant-based diet] that have been reported range from preventing photoaging, improving skin firmness and elasticity, and decreasing skin pigmentation and facial wrinkles to being a fundamental pillar to total control in inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne.”

7. Irritable bowel disease

According to the NHS, over half a million people in the UK suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, characterised by chronic inflammation of the intestines, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The causes of this autoimmune disease are often unknown and finding relief can feel like a long and impossible task. However, a 2025 study, that analysed data from hundreds of thousands of people, noted the “protective effect of healthy plant-based diets on IBD incidence and progression” and recommended people suffering with IBD could benefit from following a plant-based diet. They also found that an unhealthy plant-based diet worsened symptoms of IBD so diet quality is vitally important. A 2025 review agreed that “plant-based diets may also play a role in managing chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions,” especially ulcerative colitis.

8. Arthritis

You might not think that diet has much of an effect on joint health but a vegan diet may have anti-inflammatory benefits and because of this, the Arthritis Foundation recognises the potential benefits of a vegan diet. A 2021 review looked at various anti-inflammatory diets, including vegan, and concluded that “anti-inflammatory diets resulted in significantly lower pain than ordinary diets,” and an even more recent 2025 review confirmed that “adherence to plant-based diets generally reduced disease severity.” In addition to these reviews, a 2025 cohort study of the elderly Chinese population found that those who followed the highest quality of plant-based diet were 16 per cent less likely to suffer from arthritis and those who also exercised had a “significantly lower risk of arthritis.”

While a healthy plant-based diet isn’t a cure-all for every illness under the sun, it does play a significant role in preventing some of the most common diseases. One of the best things you can do for your health is make the switch from an animal-based to a plant-based diet. Just remember, the emphasis should always be on a healthy plant-based diet. Many cookies, cakes and crisps might be vegan but unfortunately these ultra-processed foods aren’t going to help you stay healthy.