Minimally processed plant-based diet linked to lower CVD risk than animal-based diet

A new study finds that diets rich in plant-based products with low or no processing had a 40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than diets lower in plant-based products and higher in animal-based ones. The healthier diet also had higher nutritional quality with lower fat, sugar, and salt.

However, when people consumed more ultra-processed plant-based products and plant-based products with low nutritional value, they had a 40% higher CVD risk than diets richer in plant-based products of high nutritional quality, according to INRAE, Inserm, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (France), and Cnam. 

Unhealthier diets included crisps, fruit-based sweetened drinks or sodas made from plant extracts, chocolate-based sweets or confectionery, sugary breakfast cereals, and savory biscuits.

Diets richer in plant-based ultra-processed products of higher nutrition quality, such as industrial wholemeal breads, store-bought soups, ready-made pasta dishes, or commercially prepared salads with dressing, did not have a lower CVD risk than diets lower in these foods and higher in animal-based foods.

Call for more nuance

The publication in The Lancet seeks to support public health and nutrition policies promoting plant-based foods with minimal or no industrial processing — including fresh, frozen, or high-quality canned fruits and vegetables, without added fats, salt, sugar, or additives.

The researchers note that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have long been linked to an increased risk of CVD, while other research has shown that plant-based products with balanced nutrition may reduce this risk.

Recent research found UPFs are linked to a diversity of poor health outcomes in men, highlighting that rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted over the past 50 years.

A separate study found that UPFs with mainly plant-based ingredients are not necessarily healthier, linking these to a higher risk of CVD and death.

The current paper says that they went beyond the distinction between plant- and animal-based foods by focusing on the nutritional quality, such as the carbohydrate, fat, or antioxidant vitamin and mineral content, and the level of food processing.

Researchers examined health data from 63,835 adults from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. Follow-up on average was 9.1 years, while for those enrolled earliest, it went up to 15 years. Online questionnaires were used to learn what F&B was consumed over at least three days.

Nutrition Insight previously spoke to researchers who challenged current processed food classification systems. They suggest taking into account the biochemical composition and the nutritional value of certain processed plant-based foods, like tempeh and soy chunks, which retain healthy soybean phytochemicals.

Their study shows how various processing methods impact the nutrition of plant-based foods since many of them are classified as ultra-processed. However, it reveals that this label does not reflect the nutritional potential of such foods.