Elevated plasma cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Likewise, lifestyle and dietary choices, such as adopting a Whole-food plant-based diet (WFPB) diet has been shown to effectively reduce elevated cholesterol levels. By promoting the consumption of natural, unrefined plant foods, WFPB diets help keep cholesterol numbers, and other vital biomarkers, within desirable ranges.
This way of eating encourages the intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, tubers, whole grains with some nuts and seeds while excluding all flesh meats (even chicken), fish, dairy products, eggs, and refined foods, such as bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil. Evidence from many research studies has shown that low-fat vegan diets help prevent and even reverse many of the killer chronic diseases currently ravaging the United States and other parts of the world.
The BROAD Study: Obesity, Heart Disease and Diabetes Improvement
The findings of a 2017 study published in Nutrition and Diabetes Journal reveal that strict adherence to a healthy whole-food plant-based dietary pattern can significantly cut down the risk of heart disease and obesity. This study conducted in New Zealand evaluated the relationship between the consumption of whole-food, plant-based diets and the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. A team of researchers from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Gisborne, New Zealand, administered either standard medical care to the control group or normal care plus a dietary intervention of low-fat, vegan food to the intervention group from a randomized cohort of 65 overweight participants who had at least one cardiometabolic condition (heart disease or type 2 diabetes).
Researchers observed a greater reduction in weight and decrease in cholesterol levels among subjects in the intervention group compared to the control cohort. Subjects placed on healthy plant-based diets lost 12.1 and 11.5 kg and reduced their total cholesterol by 27.1 and 15.5 mg/dL respectively in 6 and 12 months after dietary intervention. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that a substantial reduction in the incidence of heart disease and obesity in the general population can be achieved through increased consumption of low-fat vegan diets. Therefore, individuals who want to minimize their obesity and heart disease risk should consider switching to whole-food plant-based diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, tubers, and legumes, low in fat, and devoid of meat, oil, fish, eggs, dairy products, and refined foods.
Additional Information:
(2) Plant-based Diets Article on NutritionFacts.org