Plant-Based Diets and Processed Foods: A Double-Edged Sword for Cardiovascular Health

In recent years, there has been a considerable shift toward plant-based diets, often regarded as an eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle choice. Yet not all plant-based foods are equal, especially when considering cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading killer globally. A pioneering analysis plumbs the depths of this nuance, delving into the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), whether plant-derived or not, and CVD outcomes.

The landmark study assessed the cardiovascular risks linked with diets focused on either plant or animal-sourced foods while scrutinizing to what extent food processing affected outcomes. The investigation leaned on comprehensive data from the UK Biobank, involving 126,842 adults aged between 40 and 69. Participants' diet was meticulously categorized by food origin and degree of processing, examining the controversial UPFs, which are fundamentally reconstituted from plant constituents often with additional additives.

For a clearer view, every 10-point increase in plant-based non-UPF consumption correlated with a 7% diminution in CVD risk and a notable 13% dip in CVD mortality. On the flip side, plant-sourced UPF consumption was associated with a 5% spike in risk and a concerning 12% climb in CVD mortality rates. Such a dichotomy underscores a certain irony: while the push for plant-based foods rises, it's the UPF varieties that could potentially offset and complicate the heart health benefits.

Pinpointing plant-sourced UPF as a culprit raises the alarm on industrial food processing's impact on cardiovascular outcomes, even within a plant-centric diet. The study's findings stress the importance of recognizing food processing's role in dietary recommendations, emphasizing the significance of opting for minimally processed plant foods over their highly processed counterparts.

The study, sponsored by the World Cancer Research Fund, was published in "The Lancet Regional Health - Europe" and is freely accessible due to its "open access" standing.

View the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100948

Built with the help of https://www.buoyhealth.com