Eating plant-based foods to protect your heart

A look at how plant-rich diets can lower your risk of heart disease – and even help to reverse it.

Heart disease is often viewed as something that strikes out of the blue in later life. In truth, it develops slowly over decades – shaped by a mix of genetics, lifestyle, and daily habits. Smoking, physical inactivity, and diet all contribute to the risk over time. At the centre is atherosclerosis: the gradual build-up of fatty deposits that harden and narrow the arteries, eventually restricting blood flow.

It doesn’t happen overnight – and it isn’t just down to genetics. Over time, this process can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other life-threatening conditions¹. The good news? We can manage some of the risks, and diet is one of them.

What is atherosclerosis, and why does it matter?

Atherosclerosis begins when cholesterol and immune cells start to accumulate inside artery walls. These fatty streaks eventually turn into hardened plaque, which narrows the arteries and can block blood flow entirely². It’s a progressive disease – and the underlying cause of most cardiovascular conditions, from angina to strokes.

Heart disease is now the world’s leading cause of death. In the US alone, someone dies from it every 36 seconds³. Globally, cases have nearly doubled since 1990⁴. Yet much of it is preventable with diet.

How plant-based diets reduce the risk

People who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet generally have a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis and heart disease⁵. They also tend to have lower total and LDL cholesterol levels – the kind of cholesterol that clogs arteries. This is partly because plant-based diets are low in saturated fat and contain no dietary cholesterol, which is only found in animal products ⁶.

But it’s not just what’s missing, it’s also what’s added. Plant-based diets are rich in unsaturated fats, fibre, and phytonutrients from foods like fruit, vegetables, legumes, soy, nuts, and whole grains. Together, they support heart health and help lower inflammation⁷.

Some nutrients stand out. Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed, canola and walnut oils are sources of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) that can be converted by our body into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). However, microalgae and algae are the only direct plant sources of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and EPA, the two long-chain omega-3s that support heart and brain health.

The role of diet in heart health

If you smoke, then quitting is the single most important step you can take for your heart’s well-being. Regular physical activity matters too. But once those are in place, diet becomes the key factor you can actively control. What you eat day to day can either increase your risk or help protect your heart.

Studies show that people who eat more fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains not only have a lower risk of heart disease but live longer, too^{8 9}. Conversely, red and processed meat have been shown to increase the risk significantly. In a US study of over 500,000 people, men who ate the most red meat had a 27% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and for women, the risk jumped to 50%¹⁰. Consumption of processed red meats like bacon and sausages increased this risk even further¹¹.

Can plant-based diets help to manage heart disease?

There’s growing evidence that a varied plant-based diet doesn’t just prevent heart disease – it can even help to manage and reverse it in some cases¹². That means better outcomes for people with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or obesity – all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease^{13 14}. 

A simple shift with big benefits

Heart disease doesn’t happen overnight, and neither does heart health. But shifting to a more plant-based way of eating is one of the simplest, most powerful things we can do. It’s not about cutting out everything all at once – it’s about moving towards a diet that centres on healthier plant-rich foods.

More oats, beans, berries, greens, nuts, and seeds – fewer processed meats, fried foods, and animal fats. Add regular movement and avoid smoking, and you’ve got a heart-healthy lifestyle that’s accessible to most people.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight; just start with your next meal.

For more information, check out this heart-health article on our blog.

Simon Middleton

Senior Writer

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9. WHO (2014): Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. Verfügbar unter: https://www.who.int/elena/titles/bbc/fruit_vegetables_ncds/en/ [16.08.2021] ↩︎
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12. Lau L.H et al (2018): Prevalence of diabetes and its effects on stroke outcomes: A meta-analysis and literature review. J Diabetes Investig 2019; 10: 780–792. doi: 10.1111/jdi.12932 ↩︎
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