Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is the number one cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, one in five deaths is attributable to heart disease, and from 2019 to 2020, it cost $252.2 billion in health care services, medications and lost productivity related to heart disease deaths. Individuals can significantly reduce their risk of developing heart disease by making changes to their diet.
In a new umbrella review of the literature, researchers looked at 21 systematic reviews and found that vegetarian diets, including vegan diets, were associated with lower risk for heart disease and death related to heart disease compared to non-vegetarian diets. In addition, researchers found that vegan diets — which do not include any animal foods — were associated with lower blood pressure, reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lower body mass index. Those who ate a vegan diet also had lower c-reactive protein, a laboratory test that is associated with inflammation in the body.
“We now have such an abundance of studies that have examined vegetarian dietary patterns that we’re doing reviews of reviews to systematically examine the research and contribute to evidence-based clinical practice,” says Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND, assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.
This review and its conclusions are based on systematic reviews of both observational studies and randomized controlled trials. The research confirms that registered dietitian nutritionists can confidently support patients who want to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet to reduce their risk for heart disease. This research was funded by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation with support from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetics Practice Group.
Read the full study, published in The American Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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