Heart Healthy Diets Include Plants!

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, despite progress in medical treatment and widespread awareness of lifestyle risk factors.

Numerous large-scale studies have shown that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and lean proteins can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, all-cause mortality, and progression of chronic diseases.

The Mediterranean, DASH, and plant-based diets are well-supported by evidence and endorsed by professional healthcare societies for their protective effects. In contrast, emerging diets like the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting are widely adopted for weight loss, but their long-term cardiovascular benefits and safety remain unclear.

Heart-Healthy Dietary Patterns: Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, and Healthy Plant-Based Diet

Lifestyle modification—including diet, physical activity, and weight management—is central to reducing cardiometabolic risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abdominal obesity.

However, adherence to ideal dietary guidelines remains low, with fewer than 1% of U.S. adults meeting the American Heart Association's criteria for a healthy diet. As obesity and diabetes rates rise globally, dietary interventions are becoming even more important.

Research is also uncovering the influence of diet on the gut microbiome and its impact on cardiovascular health, opening new possibilities for precision nutrition strategies. Understanding and addressing barriers to adopting heart-healthy diets will be critical for effective CVD prevention and long-term public health outcomes.

Reference

Diab, Alaa et al. “A Heart-Healthy Diet for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Where Are We Now?.” Vascular health and risk management vol. 19 237-253. 21 Apr. 2023, doi:10.2147/VHRM.S379874 This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

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