Lower Blood Lipid Levels with a Plant-Based Diet

A new study shows that plant-based diets, including vegetarian and vegan diets, lower blood lipid levels, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

The phrase “food is medicine” has been popping up everywhere recently, but what does it mean? There are many different interpretations of what this phrase means, but at its core, the food is medicine philosophy conveys that food can beneficially impact your health. And to back up this concept, a new meta-analysis of randomized control trials shows that transitioning to a plant-based diet can help prevent and even treat factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. Not only is this a prime example of food as medicine, it’s an important discovery for treating the leading cause of mortality in the world today, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

The main preceptor to CVD is atherosclerosis, a progressive condition that eventually presents as a clinical disease. As the global population ages, the prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is increasing. The risk factors for this disease have ties to diet and include high blood pressure, diabetes, and atherogenic apolipoprotein B (apoB). ApoB is the main apolipoprotein in LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol”, and has been shown to have a causal relationship to CVD in several studies. Fortunately, the prevention and treatment of ASCVD may also be tied to diet. Studies have demonstrated that a transition from a diet high in animal proteins and saturated fat to a healthy plant-based diet, can lower the risk of CVD, even for people who are already exhibiting the risk factors.

A recent study from the European Society of Cardiology conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 randomized control trials to analyze the effects a plant-based diet intervention had on blood levels of total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and apoB compared to an omnivorous diet. The goal of this meta-analysis was to fill a hole in research that could improve the prevention of ASCVD through dietary intervention. The meta-analysis included studies published from 1982 to 2022 across several countries with varying intervention periods, and with subjects across a range of age groups and health statuses. Of the 30 studies, 25 consisted of subjects that were either overweight, obese, and/or were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or CVD. Nine of the studies were classified as “crossover trials”, in which participants started the study consuming either the control or intervention diet, then switched to the opposite diet, and the remaining 21 studies followed only one diet, either the control or the intervention diet. Fifteen of the dietary interventions analyzed were a vegetarian diet, and fifteen were a vegan diet.

The data from the randomized control trials demonstrated that when people transition from an omnivorous diet to a plant-based diet, they can lower their levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apoB. The meta-analysis found that the groups consuming the plant-based intervention diet lowered the mean total cholesterol levels by 7% compared to the control group. It was found that LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by 10% from the baseline, and apoB levels were reduced by a mean of 14% from the baseline. It was also determined that consuming a plant-based diet may postpone or prevent the need to take medications to lower lipid and lipoprotein levels. When medication is advised, coupling the treatment with a plant-based diet can help lower lipid and lipolipid levels more efficiently. These findings are encouraging, and provide a foundation for improved prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases through a healthy plant-based diet. Read more about the study here.

Reference:
Koch, Caroline A., et al. “Vegetarian or vegan diets and blood lipids: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.” European Heart Journal, 2023, pp. 1-16. https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad211/7177660. Accessed 16 7 2023.

Written by Anna Tobin, dietetic intern, with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN

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