Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds. That means that each minute, more than one person dies from a heart disease-related event. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease.
Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Poor diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use (1)
There were many studies done on how the diet affects the health of the heart. And most of you already know by now, that the food is the number one cause of any disease, put alone the heart-related ones. So let’s see how going vegan can help to keep a healthy heart over the lifetime.
Why Vegan Diet is Gaining More Popularity for Healthy Heart?
The study in the Dec. 4, 2018 article in Journal of the American Heart Association, states that a vegan diet may help lower heart-damaging inflammation more than the diet recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA).
After eight weeks of study, they noticed that C-reactive protein (CRP is a marker for inflammation) levels were 32% lower among people in the vegan diet group when compared with the AHA diet group. And elevated levels of CRP are associated with a higher risk of a heart attack. (2)
Risk Factors and Conditions for Healthy Heart
Hypertension
One of the risk factors for any heart disease is hypertension, which is an insidious, common, and deadly disease, often detected incidentally at a routine doctor’s visit or workplace health screening.
No doubt that therapies for all stages of hypertension include exercise and weight loss. However, results from one study suggest that a plant-based diet is even more important. Although the benefits of exercise and weight loss seem to be understood by most, the definition and perception of a “healthy” diet is one that has not yet reached consensus.
Thinking to go vegan? Check out my article “What really means to be a healthy vegan?”
Red, processed meats, poultry, and even seafood are associated with increased hypertension risk. The investigators found that vegans and
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High Levels of Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance produced by the liver that aids in building cell membranes and producing hormones. So in fact, we do need cholesterol in our bodies. But our bodies produce plenty of cholesterol to meet all the needs, so we don’t need to consume extra cholesterol through our diets.
Diets high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol—found in meat, dairy products, and eggs—raise cholesterol levels, which increases heart attack risk. Foods high in saturated fat are especially dangerous because they can trigger the body to produce extra cholesterol.
Studies in 2017 found that plant-based diets lower cholesterol levels more effectively than other diets. The research showed that a vegan diet lowered total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels when compared to omnivorous diets.
Therefore the results of the study proved that low-fat, plant-based regimens typically reduce LDL levels by about 15 to 30 percent. (4)
How does Vegan Diet Promote a Healthy Heart?
There are a variety of mechanisms by which plant-based nutrition leads to a healthy heart:
- improved vasodilation (the dilatation of blood vessels)
- greater antioxidant content
- anti-inflammatory effects
- improved insulin sensitivity
- decreased blood viscosity
- altered baroreceptors (their function is to sense pressure changes by responding to change in the tension of the arterial wall)
- modifications in the hormone system that regulates blood pressure
- modifications in sympathetic nervous systems
- promoting good gut hormones that help regulate glucose (simple sugar) levels, insulin production, and energy levels. (3) (5)
Conclusion
Veganism is gaining more and more popularity these days. And it is NOT just another fad diet. The whole food plant-based diet is scientifically proven to be the best way one can eat to promote a healthy heart and stay free of heart-related diseases throughout life.
By eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables, the world could prevent several million deaths per year by 2050, cut planet-warming emissions by 70%, and save from $700 billion to $1 trillion annually in healthcare costs. (6)
If you wish to have a quality life, staying healthy and enjoy long and happy living with your family, consider switching to a whole food plant-based diet. It might seem extreme for many people at first. But in reality, it is not. It is easier than you might imagine. And knowing how much good it does to your body, especially to your heart, it is totally worth trying out.
Read “How I decided to become vegan”
Stay Happy and Healthy!
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Very informative!
Fantastic information! We’re a family of vegetarians, but haven’t been able/willing to give up honey or cheese yet. Love all the solid reasoning on heart health!
Thanks for sharing.
Great advice and super informative! I have definitely seen an increase in my friends that are going vegan.
I am paleo and married a vegetarian. We really try and eat a balance that includes a ton of fruit, vegetables and nuts. I wish I could eat grains but I get inflammation. More vegetable recipes and information is always a great thing.
Thank you for so much info on going Vegan!
Thank you for all of your research into this. I’m addicted to salmon, but I have been considering at least trying some popular vegan dishes occasionally.
I’ve noticed how popular veganism is getting!
This great information. Thank you for sharing. The more people know about food, disease, etc.. the more informed decisions we can make.
Great information! Would you believe it that my hubby (who’s cholesterol levels are normal on a regular diet) got WORSE when we went on a strict elimination diet for 6 months. I mean it was almost all veggies, with the occasional chicken or turkey thrown in there. Sure enough his cholesterol went super high. I know eating vegan is healthier overall, but for him, it was making his numbers worse. He’s an anomaly. LOL!
good info but gotta say… I am a carnivore…
I’ve eaten a vegan diet on and off for years. I struggle now with appetite so I do throw some occasional fish or chicken in there just to get a wider variety of palatable foods. I do think vegan is the way to go, though. I always feel lighter when I eat that way.
I have tried to go vegetarian, but I found it so expensive. Do you have tips to cut the cost?
Sure. If you stick to whole foods, skip any processed “so-called” vegan or vegetarian products that originally are not meant to be vegan/vegetarian (like vegan cheese, burgers, sausages, chicken, etc..), your grocery bill will actually be reduced at least in half compared to the one when you purchase eggs, meat, poultry, fish and dairy. Veggies, fruits, legumes, and grains are a lot cheaper than any animal products. Hope this helps.
I am totally a carnivore, and right now on Keto. But my sister is a vegan and I love it when she is here and cooks dinner. Very delicious and more filling that I would have thought.
I feel like this came to me at the right time. I have a conversation with a provider at work this morning about going plant based and the benefits.. then this came along. Must be a sign to really start considering it. Thanks!
Happy to hear that you are considering going plant-based! A great thing to do! Let me know if there is anything I do to help on this journey
Thanks for the terrific education on the benefits of plant-based eating. We definitely need to start weaning off the meat!
The pictures in your post are beautiful. I have several family members who are vegetarian and love it.
Thank you, Leigh Ann 🙂
Great posts with lots of helpful information. I love the pictures too. I think all of us would love to have a healthy heart, it’s just hard to make the commitment.
As always great information, Anna! My son is vegan and parents are vegetarian (which is a really crazy change since we had traditional restaurants) they love eating this way as well. Craig and I source the freshest foods possible and never eat “convenience” foods (pre-packaged) etc. Thanks so much for sharing 🤗
This would be difficult for me in a houseful of testosterone ~ but I’ve seriously contemplated trying of late for various reasons.
I tried going vegan and vegetarian but it’s has never worked well for me because I am anemic and my body really needs the iron and protein from meat. However, most of the meat I use is either organically raised or hunted. Great tips.
I know this to be true! Plant based all the way for me and I’ve never been healthier.
Great post on veganism! I have definitely cut back on our animal proteins. I do remember when I was researching pros and cons a while back that animal protein is the easiest for the human body to utilize the way it needs to the most efficiently. Have you seen anything on that? I think about it most for my kids.
I believe that research has been proven otherwise now. The meat is the hardest to utilize by the human body. And if you try to eat meatless for a while, and then try it include animal products back into your menu, you will surely feel the heaviness and discomfort. I strongly believe that our bodies were never designed to include animal products. But since being kids we were fed that way, so the body adjusted accordingly. in truth, all the nutrients can be received from a plant-based diet when planned accordingly. And it is a lot healthier in many ways. Hope this helps.
What great tips about veganism. I honestly don’t know too much about it. I have had several friends who are vegetarians but I don’t think I have had any who are vegan.