Plant-based foods vs animal products in preventing cardiometabolic disease

There has been a push by health professionals to move toward a more plant-based diet, and away from animal products, in order to lower disease risk. A study published in Current Developments in Nutrition suggests that consuming animal products as a part of a healthy diet—meeting recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and not exceeding recommendations for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat—may not increase cardiometabolic risk.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that higher intake of plant-based foods is associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas a higher meat intake increases risk of cardiometabolic disease and replacement of small quantities of animal protein with plant protein is associated with lower risk. According to the researchers, randomized controlled studies show that nutrient dense diets containing animal protein, including some unprocessed lean meats, improve cardiovascular disease risk factors. Thus, it is likely that consumption of animal products, at recommended levels, in the context of a dietary pattern that meets recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and does not exceed recommendations for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat may not increase cardiometabolic risk.

However, the researchers recognize that adherence to dietary recommendations is suboptimal. Therefore, they conclude that “rather than debating the merits of healthy dietary patterns that are exclusively plant-based or that include animal sources in recommended amounts, the focus should be on improving eating patterns to align with dietary guidelines.”

Study (pdf)