Plant-based diet, defined by low frequency of animal food consumption, have been recommended for their health benefits.

In fact, several studies have found plant-based diets, especially when rich in high quality plant foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, to be associated with lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes and intermediate risk factors. ⁽¹⁾

 

What is a plant-based diet?

Plant-based diets consist of a diverse family of dietary patterns, defined by low frequency of consumption of animal foods. Vegetarian diets are a subset of plant-based diets which exclude intake of some or all animal foods. At the extreme end, are vegan diets, that exclude consumption of all animal products.

Nowadays, instead of defining plant-based diets in terms of the complete exclusion of some or all animal foods, recent evidence suggests a gradual adhesion to this dietary pattern, because slow reductions in animal food intake may be easier to adopt in comparison to complete exclusion of animal foods at once. ⁽¹⁾

However, there is a wide diversity of plant-based diets based on the quality of plant foods included in the diet, each one with potentially distinct cardio-metabolic effects. It’s essential that your plant-based choices include natural foods instead of processed foods and naturally occurring sugars instead of added white sugar. ⁽²⁾

 

Plant-based diets’ highlights for health:

• Lower saturated fat intake;
• Higher fibre content;
• Higher antioxidants intake;
• Higher micronutrients density, like vitamins and minerals;

 

Plant-based diet and cardiovascular health

Despite the wide variation in the definitions of plant-based diets in literature, their associations with better cardiovascular health have been consistent. Most studies of vegetarian diets have found lower rates of coronary heart disease incidence and mortality among vegetarians relative to omnivores.

In fact, some studies found vegetarian diets to significantly lower blood concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol relative to a range of omnivorous control diets. Other meta-analyses have found vegetarian diets to lower blood pressure, enhance weight loss, and improve glycemic control to a greater extent than omnivorous comparison diets.

Taken together, the beneficial effects of such diets provide support for the adoption of healthful plant-based diets for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Important to refer that, in many of these studies, the associations were stronger among younger participants, among participants with a longer duration of adherence to a vegetarian diet, and among men relative to women. ^(1,3,4)

 

Potential biological mechanisms

A healthful plant-based diet, which emphasizes intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, tea and coffee, and non-hydrogenated vegetable oils, might affect cardiovascular health through numerous potential biological pathways, like:

• Low energy density: due to its low saturated fat and high fiber content, these diets can help with weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. Also, dietary fibre might lower energy intake by triggering satiety cues.
• Potential cholesterol lowering effect: Another key mechanism through which dietary fibre may improve cardiovascular health is by lower cholesterol and fat absorption, altered cholesterol synthesis, increased bile acid synthesis, and decreased bile acid absorption.
• Enhanced glycemic control: Dietary fibre can also help to avoid blood sugar spikes and improve glycemic control.
• Lower inflammation status: due to the higher antioxidant apport. ^(1,3)

 

Oh! My Snacks’ position and Take-Home Messages

 

Plant-based diets have been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as an improved cardiovascular health, however, is important to guarantee the quality of food choices, namely natural foods, sources of fibre and protein, no added sugar and low glycemic index.

In addition, numerous biological mechanisms exist through which healthful plant foods may exert their potentially cardio-protective effects.

At Oh! My Snacks we aim to provide options that feat these criteria, providing categories of snacks like nuts, pea protein bars and protein balls, nuts bars, raw bars and salty fusion. All these snacks are no white sugar, source of healthy fats and source of fibre to boost cardiovascular health.

In the end, healthful plant-based diets should be recommended as an environmentally sustainable dietary option for improved cardiovascular health and at Oh! My Snacks you can find convenient and nutritious options to include in your middle meals or snack moments.

 

Bibliography

 

• Satija A, Hu FB. Plant-based diets and cardiovascular health. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Oct;28(7):437-441. doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2018.02.004. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6089671/#R4
• Tan J, Zhang S, Jiang Y, Li J, Yang C. Plant-based diet and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2024 Oct 23;11:1481363. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1481363. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39507899/
• Miller V, Mente A, Dehghan M, Rangarajan S, Zhang X, Swaminathan S, et al. Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2017 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32253-5/fulltext
• Benisi-Kohansal S, Saneei P, Salehi-Marzijarani M, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A. Whole-Grain Intake and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(6):1052–65. doi: 10.3945/an.115.011635. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5105035/

 Author: 

Rita Lima (CP.3003N)