Eat plant foods… protect your heart
The EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019 proposed a global, environmentally sustainable diet featuring mainly plant-based foods. This study, following around 25,000 people for 25 years, found that those following a diet similar to the EAT-Lancet diet, which is made up of mostly plant-based foods, had a lower risk of heart attacks by up to 20 per cent.
Those who closely followed the diet, which is high in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, pulses and nuts and low in meat, dairy, added fats and sugars had fewer coronary events than those who did not closely follow the diet. The effect of the overall dietary pattern was considerably greater than that of individual components of the EAT-Lancet diet. This highlights the importance of considering your overall dietary pattern when assessing the links between diets and health.
These findings provide further support for the EAT-Lancet Commission recommendation that we should eat a plant-based diet.
Zhang S, Dukuzimana J, Stubbendorff A et al. 2023. Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and risk of coronary events in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. S0002-9165 (23) 30193-X.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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