Can A Plant-Based Diet Reduce The Risk of Heart Disease?

Is heart disease preventable?

Cardiovascular disease is one of our top killers in this country. Studies suggest that genetics accounts for only 20 percent of chronic conditions like heart disease, with lifestyle accounting for the remaining 80 percent.

Most of the traditional medical management is centered around treating disease once it occurs. In other words, we treat cardiovascular disease after we find out the patient has had a heart attack or stroke. What many people fail to realize, is that fatty deposits or plaque in people’s arteries have been brewing long before symptoms such as sudden, crushing chest pressure get patients to present to the ER. Once diagnosed with a heart attack- modern medicine can do miracles by treating life-threatening conditions such as STEMI, with invasive options such as balloons, stents, and bypass surgery.

What if we could avoid cardiovascular disease, or at least reduce our risks?

Scientific data now clearly shows that a major factor in developing heart disease is the increase in inflammation in the body. CRP is a protein that has increased levels in the blood in cardiovascular disease. Most of the western diet is comprised of pro-inflammatory foods such as processed carbs, added sugars, and animal fat. In contrast, a plant-based diet can reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease substantially. Many people think of plant-based diets as a vegan diet. I think of it as plant-predominant or plant-forward.

Defining the terms

Vegan. Entirely plant-based, and excludes meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.

Vegetarian. Plant-based but may include dairy and eggs.

Flexitarian. Mainly plant-based but may include meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.

Plant-forward. A style of cooking, that emphasizes plant-based foods, but is not strictly limited to them. Meat is included sometimes but is not the main focus of the meal.

Many dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, Portfolio diet, and even the DASH diet are all plant-focused. A plant-based diet is anti-inflammatory, and the scientific data supporting a reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease by following plant-based diets is growing substantially. The science shows that even those that do not follow a fully plant-based diet, can get measurable benefits from increasing the amount of plant-based foods in their diets- whether eating beans, lentils, veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

Whether you are considering eating less meat or giving it up entirely, the benefits are clear, eating less meat decreases the risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Many cancers
• Type 2 DM
• High BP
• High cholesterol
• Obesity

Whichever diet you choose, just remember that removing meat doesn’t have to mean removing protein. There are plenty of plant-based sources of protein such as:

• lentils
• chickpeas
• beans
• legumes
• mushrooms
• quinoa
• brussels sprouts
• turnip greens
• corn
• peppers, and
• spinach.

Going plant-forward is easier than ever- search for enticing recipes with vegetarian options, and fresh herbs to add tons of flavor. Experiment with adding one additional meatless meal per week, or two. Then add more days as you get used to it. Chances are good that you will enjoy the freshness and flavor, and there’s no better time than the peak of summer to buy the freshest produce.

Sweet Chili Pork with Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage

Photo of my adapted version of this recipe with a smaller portion of pork and lots more veggies, to make it plant-forward and still delish!

 Bon appetit!