- A vegetarian or vegan diet can help lower levels of cholesterol in the body while also helping combat climate change, says a new meta-study.
- In particular, according to the study, plant-based diets lower the levels of a lipoprotein— which is gaining interest as a better indicator of heart health than “bad” cholesterol.
- Since the body makes most of its cholesterol — and it does not come from diet — drugs such as statins that control cholesterol production remain important.
A new study indicates that a vegetarian or vegan diet can reduce levels of dietary cholesterol in the body. In particular, the study shows that such diets reduce levels of lipoprotein which may be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease than low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol.
The study finds that plant-based diets are associated with a 7% reduction in total cholesterol and a 14% reduction in all artery-blocking lipoproteins, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease for people who maintain such a diet for at least five years.
Lipoproteins are particles composed of fats, or lipids, and proteins. The lipids they contain include cholesterol and triglycerides. Some cholesterol lipids, such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, protect against heart disease. An excess, on the other hand, of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increases cardiovascular disease risk.
The reduction in risk that resulted from plant-based diets was roughly equivalent to about a third of the cholesterol-reducing effect of medications such as statins.
The authors of the study also noted the climate-change benefits a wider adoption of plant-based foods would provide.
The study is a meta-study — or study of studies — that analyzed the results of 30 different randomized trials published between 1980 and 2022 investigating the effect of plant-based diets on cholesterol.
The results are published in the European Heart Journal, accompanied by an editorial.
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