Association Between Consumption of Fermented Food and Food-Derived Prebiotics With Cognitive Performance, Depressive, and Anxiety Symptoms in Psychiatrically Healthy Medical Students Under Psychological Stress: A Prospective Cohort Study

Could A Plant-based Diet Improve Heart Health?

Plant-based diets have grown in popularity over the past three decades, with the plant-based industry now amassing a sizeable global market value of $64.7bn. What's more, its value is projected to reach a colossal $161.9bn by 2030, according to Statista.

And while there are two notable reasons as to why consumers are making the switch to plant-based, including animal welfare and the environment, there is one other major contributing factor – health. The plant-based diet has been linked to a huge range of health benefits, including improving symptoms of Alzheimer's, aiding weight loss and the prevention of chronic diseases in women, and research around its potential health implications, continues to grow with its success.

Now, a new study, led by researchers from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, suggests that consuming a diet richer in plant-based proteins than animal-based proteins could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD).

Also read → Plant-based diet linked to good gut health Is a plant-based diet good for the heart? (Getty Images) Could a plant-based diet improve heart health?

The new study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found links between the consumption of plant-based proteins and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD).

Additionally, the researchers found that the greatest heart health benefits came from a combination of higher overall protein intake and increased consumption of plant-based proteins. This is interesting as it addresses the potential advantages to consuming plant proteins for those on a flexitarian diet. There doesn't necessarily need to be an all or nothing approach to reap rewards.

How was the study conducted?

The research team used 30 years of data on diet, lifestyle, and heart health, for nearly 203,000 men and women. They calculated each participant's total protein intake, as well as the specific type of protein.

Over the course of the study period, 16,118 cardiovascular cases, including over 10,000 coronary heart disease cases and over 6,000 stroke cases, were documented.

After adjusting for participants' health history, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, the study found that eating a higher ratio of plant proteins, compared to animal proteins led to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.

Participants who consumed the highest plant-to-animal protein ratio had a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of coronary heart disease. Those who consumed the most protein (21% of energy coming from protein) and adhered to a higher plant-to-animal protein ratio saw a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 36% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who consumed the least protein (16% of energy).

Furthermore, while no significant health benefits were found for stroke risk, the researchers found that replacing red and processed meats with several plant sources, such as nuts and seeds, showed a lower risk of stroke.

"Most of us need to begin shifting our diets toward plant-based proteins," says Frank Hu, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School. "We can do so by cutting down on meat, especially red and processed meats, and eating more legumes and nuts. Such a dietary pattern is beneficial not just for human health but also the health of our planet."

The researcher teams highlighted that the ratios they identified are estimates, and further research is needed, to determine the optimal balance between plant and animal protein. Additionally, further research is needed to determine how stroke risk may be impacted by protein intake.

There is also research, out of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, which warns against high-protein consumption, as it could actually damage heart health. This information could prove useful to the Harvard team when conducting further studies.

What is protein?

Protein is a macronutrient contained in certain foods and drinks. It is made up of chemicals called amino acids, which are broken down when consumed and digested. The body then builds all the different proteins it needs from these amino acids.

What does this mean for food and beverage?

This new research is undoubtedly good news for the plant-based industry and will likely further fuel the rise and rise of the plant-based trend.

But while it does highlight the advantages of plant-based proteins, it doesn't push for the total removal of animal-based proteins. This opens the door for meat and dairy brands to encourage vegans and vegetarians, who chose a plant-based diet for health reasons, back towards animal products to embrace a flexitarian diet.

And could we also see innovation in the hybrid space as consumers seek a diet of both plant- and animal-based proteins?

Also read → What's next for the plant-based trend? New research around plant-based proteins could promote flexitarian diet. (Getty Images)

Source: Dietary plant-to-animal protein ratio and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 prospective cohortsPublished online: 2 December 2024DOI: 10.1016/j.Ajcnut.2024.09.006Authors: Andrea J Glenn, Fenglei Wang, Anne-Julie Tessier et al.

Want To Lower Your Heart Disease Risk? The 'Portfolio Diet' May Be The Answer.

The plant-forward portfolio diet has been shown to reduce levels of bad cholesterol and decrease the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease. Viktoriya Skorikova via Getty Images

If you're a living, breathing human on this planet, chances are that someone, at some point, has urged you to eat your fruits and vegetables. There are good reasons for that: Eating a diet low in fruit and veggies, and high in saturated fats, puts you at risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It only makes sense, then, that produce-forward meal plans protect your cardiovascular health. These diets are known to help control risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. (However, medication is necessary sometimes, too.)

The Mediterranean diet is a common heart-healthy approach, but there's another option that may also be key to lowering your cholesterol and your risk of coronary artery disease: the portfolio diet.

Below, experts share the rundown on this plant-forward meal plan and why it's worth trying.

What is the portfolio diet?

"The portfolio diet was proposed about 20 years ago, and it has a lot in common with other heart-healthy diets that that you heard of, such as a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and a whole food, plant-based diet," said Dr. Sarah Hull, an associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut.

"The name comes from the fact that this diet includes a portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods, so foods that reduce mostly the bad cholesterol in the diet," noted Kristina Petersen, an associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University.

The portfolio diet is made up of four different food profiles, Melissa Prest, a clinical nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told HuffPost via email. It encourages the consumption of plant-based protein, plant sterols (a natural compound that helps lower cholesterol levels), soluble fiber and monounsaturated fat.

This means "eating a lot of foods like beans, lentils, soy, nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables and whole grains as a way to obtain those foods, which basically, again, is very similar to whole food plant-based diet," Hull said.

Some other heart-healthy diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the DASH eating plan, also include animal products like fish and poultry, and dairy products like yogurt and cheese. But the portfolio diet is vegan — which means if you intend to follow the diet exactly, you'll need to remove any animal products from your rotation.

The portfolio diet specifically focuses on cholesterol, so it's a good option if you struggle with that. 

According to Petersen, the portfolio diet is not as well-studied as the Mediterranean diet, but the data that is available shows it can significantly benefit your cardiovascular health.

"There have been several studies done where they've shown pretty substantial lowering of LDL cholesterol ― so the bad cholesterol that increases risk of heart disease ― with this diet," Petersen said. "In the original study, the lowering was about 29% in four weeks."

"And then [researchers] did a subsequent study where they actually compared following this diet with lovastatin, which is a pharmaceutical agent to lower cholesterol, and they actually saw a pretty comparable lowering of LDL," Petersen said. "So we have quite a bit of evidence that it lowers LDL cholesterol, and this is really what the diet is best known for."

There are still health rewards even if you just add parts of the portfolio diet to your lifestyle. "Each of the four portfolios can reduce cholesterol levels by 5-10%," Prest said.

Lowering bad cholesterol is "an important part of preventing and treating cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and stroke," Hull said.

Research also shows that people who follow the portfolio diet are 14% less likely to develop coronary heart disease and have a stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

There are also other health benefits to the portfolio diet: It's anti-inflammatory and can help people reach their daily fiber goal (most Americans are fiber deficient), Hull said. Women need between 21 and 25 grams of fiber each day, and men need between 30 and 38 grams daily.

Nuts and seeds are a key part of this heart-healthy diet. Martin-dm via Getty Images

Here's how you can take steps to add the portfolio diet to your lifestyle:

"Thinking about making incremental changes rather than making huge, sweeping changes is one of the most important principles to keep in mind," Hull said. "So, the first thing is to think about [is], 'What's my biggest barrier to incorporating healthy changes?'"

If money is an issue, consider buying frozen fruits and veggies instead of fresh — they'll last longer and are usually cheaper than the fresh alternative, Hull suggested. Bulk dried legumes, such as beans and lentils, are also more economical, she noted.

If your issue is time, consider meal prepping on the weekends, and look up plant-based, make-ahead recipes. Or if you just don't know how to prep plant-based meals, consider talking to your doctor or a dietitian.

You can start small by focusing on one meal a day. For example, you could begin by eating oatmeal topped with nuts or seeds for breakfast, Petersen said. Or you could try following the portfolio diet at lunch by making grain bowls with quinoa or brown rice topped with chickpeas, veggies and tofu.

Even just snacking on unsalted nuts, apples and peanut butter, or carrots and hummus is part of this diet, Hull noted.

The portfolio diet still has benefits even if you don't completely follow it.

Let's be real: Going from a meat-based diet to a totally vegan meal plan is a big ask. Luckily, you don't have to go fully vegan to see cardiovascular benefits.

"I think you can still incorporate the key features of the portfolio diet [such as whole grains, nuts, vegetables, beans and fruit] without excluding animal products if you want to include those," Petersen said. "We have a lot of evidence for viscous fiber, plant sterols, soy and nuts reducing cholesterol levels, so if you just ate more of those foods, you would see cholesterol lowering."

It's true that you'll get the greatest health benefits out of this diet if you follow it to the letter. But even just following it when you can is also good for you.

"The more adherent you can be to a diet like the portfolio diet ― or any predominantly whole food, plant-based diet ― the more benefit you can expect to get in terms of lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as lowering risk of cancer and certain metabolic diseases as well," Hull said.

Related...

Even Pregnant Women Need To Watch Their Diets For Best Outcomes.

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