Research at a Glance: Plant-Based Diet Health Benefits

This post provides evidence at a glance regarding research backed plant-based diet benefits. For a more thorough review including risks, benefits, supplementation considerations and more, see my article Plant-Based Diet: Claims, Evidence, and…What do the Scriptures Say?

WARNING: changes in dietary patterns can significantly impact the function of certain medications–discuss any significant dietary changes or use of supplements with your medical provider.

According evidence cited in the research: those following a plant-based diet on average experienced:

Lower chronic disease rates and lower mortality (death) rates:

• Lower overall rates of death (mortality) by 10-20% for a variety of causes versus those of similar age and characteristics (Le & Sabate, 2014; McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• Lower overall rates of chronic illness due to a variety of causes versus those of similar age and characteristics (McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• 68% less deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events versus those of similar age and characteristics (Le & Sabate (2014)

Lower rates of certain cancers*, lower overall rates of death from cancer:

• 8% Reduction in total cancer mortality rates for vegetarians versus meat eaters (Dinu, Abbate, Gensini, Casini, & Sofi, 2017)
• 15% reduction in total cancer mortality rates for adherents of vegan diets versus meat eaters (Dinu et al., 2017)
• 50% reduction in colon cancer rates versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 23% reduction in the cancers of the digestive tract versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 48% reduction in breast cancer death rates versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 35% reduction in prostate cancer risk versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• * Exception: Urinary tract cancer rates were increased by 78% for vegans versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)

Lower heart disease risk and lower rates of death from heart disease

• 23% reduction in mortality rates from heart disease for vegetarians versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 34% reduction in mortality rates from heart disease for pesco-vegetarians (no meat except fish) versus meat eaters (Key et al., 1999, as cited in Harland & Gartland, 2016)
• 42% reduction in mortality rates from heart disease for vegans versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 10-15% reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by becoming a vegetarian!! (Ferdowsian & Barnard, 2009 as cited in Harland & Gartland, 2016)
• 15-25% reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by becoming a vegan!! (Ferdowsian & Barnard, 2009 as cited in Harland & Gartland, 2016)
• 55% reduced risk of developing clogged blood vessels of the heart (ischemic heart disease) for vegan males versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 55% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure for vegetarians versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)
• 75% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure for vegans versus meat eaters (Le & Sabate, 2014)

Lower diabetes risk, improved health for diabetics

• Lower A1C levels for diabetics that adopt a plant-based diet, for some diabetics lowering to non-diabetic levels! (Dinu et al., 2017; Wright, Wilson, Smith, Duncan, & McHugh, 2017)
• Vegan whole-foods (non-processed) diets are superior to the American Diabetic Association’s recommended diet for lowering A1C levels in diabetics (Olfert & Wattick, 2018).
• 74% lower risk of diabetes for lifelong vegetarians versus meat eaters (Vang et al., 2008 as cited in Olfert & Wattick, 2018).
• 53% lower risk of diabetes for those that switch to a vegetarian diet versus meat eaters (Chiu, Pan, Lin, & Lin, 2018 as cited in Olfert & Wattick, 2018)
• Less neuropathy pain! Diabetic persons who adopted a vegan diet saw significant reductions in neuropathic pain when supplementing with vitamin B12 versus minimal improvement for meat eaters supplementing with vitamin B12 (Olfert & Wattick, 2018)
• Improved kidney health for diabetics that switch to a vegan diet with less urine protein and improved creatinine clearance (Olfert & Wattick, 2018)
• Reduced and even elimination of insulin and medication dependence for diabetics that adopted vegetarian or vegan diets (Olfert & Wattick, 2018)

A Leaner, meaner? (if that’s your thing) you

• 17 lbs lower body weight on average for vegetarian males versus meat eating males (Pilis, Stec, Zych, & Pilis, 2014)
• 7 lbs lower body weight on average for vegetarian females versus meat eating females (Pilis et al., 2014)
• Lower BMI on average for vegans of 23 versus meat eaters (meat eaters averaged 28) (Pilis et al., 2014)
• Lower BMI on average for vegetarians of 26 versus meat eaters (averaged 28) (Pilis et al., 2014)

Superior digestive system health

• Lower risk of diverticular disease including diverticulitis (Appleby & Key, 2016, as cited in McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• Less constipation and more regular bowel movements (McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• Less liquid stools for those that suffer from loose stools (McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• Improved levels of healthy gut microbes due to increased pre-biotic intake (McEwen & Bingham, 2019)
• Superior nutrient and antioxidant intake including the following: thiamin, folate, vitamin C, carotene, potassium and vitamin E versus the general population (Harland & Gartland, 2016)

For further reading

• Plant-Based Diet: Claims, Evidence, and…What do the Scriptures Say? : A thorough review of plant-based diet research findings, risks, benefits and more
• A Brief Commentary on Popular Diet Trends and their Absurdities: Paleo claims, Keto claims, Vegan claims and even a “Medium’s” claims are explored (and debunked!)
• My Personal Experience: Switching to a Plant-based Diet: Making the change is not as hard as you think…and you may experience some surprises!
• Plant-based Diets: Fears & Answers: In this post I dispel myths, biases, and fears regarding plant-based diets, providing evidence-based answers to questions

Outside Links: These Sites Have Motivated and Helped Me Along the Way

https://nutritionfacts.org/: A great website with lots of plant-based diet articles, evidence-based research findings, recipes and more, from the author of the book How Not to Die, Dr. Gregor

Bluezones.com: Recipes, articles and inspiration touching not only on diet but entire lifestyle changes from the team that researched five global zones known for healthy, long-lived populations

Forksoverknives.com: Success stories, show casing of leaders in the plant-based movement, recipes, articles from the site inspired by the documentary of the same name

Men’s Journal Article on Vegan Athletes: This is one example of many online articles demonstrating you do not have to give up strength and fitness goals when you go plant-based

References:

Dinu, M., Abbate, R., Gensini, G. F., Casini, A., & Sofi, F. (2017). Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(17), 3640-3649. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1138447

Harland, J., & Garton, L. (2016). An update of the evidence relating to plantbased diets and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and overweight. Nutrition Bulletin, 41(4), 323–338. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/nbu.12235

Le, L. T., & Sabaté, J. (2014). Beyond meatless, the health effects of vegan diets: findings from the Adventist cohorts. Nutrients, 6(6), 2131–2147. doi:10.3390/nu6062131

McEwen, B., & Bingham, M. (2019). Vegan diet and chronic disease: A brief report. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, 25(2), 77–79. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=137322002&site=ehost-live

Olfert, M. D., & Wattick, R. A. (2018). Vegetarian Diets and the Risk of Diabetes. Current diabetes reports, 18(11), 101. doi:10.1007/s11892-018-1070-9

Pilis, W., Stec, K., Zych, M., & Pilis, A. (2014). Health benefits and risk associated with adopting a vegetarian diet. Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Hygieni, 65(1), 9-14. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24964573

Wright, N., Wilson, L., Smith, M., Duncan, B., & McHugh, P. (2017). The BROAD study: A randomised controlled trial using a whole food plant-based diet in the community for obesity, ischaemic heart disease or diabetes. Nutrition & diabetes, 7(3), e256. doi:10.1038/nutd.2017.3