New study shows some plant-based diets may raise heart disease riskSummary: Researchers tracking over 63,000 adults found that high-quality, minimally processed plant foods significantly reduce cardiovascular risk. But when those plant foods are ultra-processed, the advantage disappears—and can even backfire. Some ultra-processed plant diets increased risk by 40%. The study urges a shift toward whole, naturally nutrient-rich plant foods. FULL STORY Not all plant-based diets improve heart health—only those built on minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods do. Ultra-processed plant products can erase the benefits and even increase cardiovascular risk. Credit: Shutterstock Previous studies have indicated that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods[1] is linked with a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases. Other research[2] has found that diets centered on plant-based foods can lower this risk when those foods offer balanced nutrition and are consumed in appropriate proportions. To explore how nutrition relates to cardiovascular health in more detail, scientists from INRAE, Inserm, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, and Cnam examined more than whether foods came from plant or animal sources. Their assessment also incorporated the nutritional makeup of foods, including factors such as carbohydrate, fat, and antioxidant vitamin and mineral content, along with the level of industrial processing involved. How the Study Evaluated Diets and Food Choices The team evaluated data from 63,835 adults enrolled in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. Participants were followed for an average of 9.1 years, with some tracked for as long as 15 years. Information on what they ate and drank (collected over at least three days) was gathered through online questionnaires. This detailed approach allowed researchers to classify diets based on the share of plant-based and animal-based foods, while also considering both nutritional quality and processing level. The findings showed that adults who consumed more plant-based foods of higher nutritional quality (lower in fat, sugar, and salt) and with minimal industrial processing had about a 40 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who ate fewer nutritious plant-based foods and more animal-based products[3]. However, people who ate larger amounts of plant-based foods that were nutritionally higher quality but ultra-processed, including items such as industrial whole meal breads, store-bought soups, ready-made pasta dishes, or commercially prepared salads with dressing, did not experience a reduced cardiovascular risk relative to individuals who consumed fewer of these products and more animal-based foods. Ultra-Processed Plant Foods and Increased Heart Disease Risk A notably higher risk emerged for adults whose diets were dominated by plant-based foods that were both lower in nutritional quality and ultra-processed. These items included crisps, sweetened fruit drinks or sodas made from plant extracts, chocolate-based sweets or confectionery, sugary breakfast cereals, and savory biscuits. Their cardiovascular disease risk was roughly 40 percent higher than that of people who consumed more plant-based foods of good nutritional quality with little or no industrial processing. Why Processing Level Matters for Plant-Based Eating Overall, the results show that understanding the relationship between diet and cardiovascular health requires considering the nutritional quality of foods and how heavily they are processed, in addition to the balance of plant-based and animal-based components. These findings support public health recommendations that encourage the consumption of plant-based foods that are both nutritionally high quality and minimally processed (such as fresh, frozen, or high-quality canned fruits and vegetables without added fats, salt, sugar, or additives). Notes [1], [2], and [3] can be read at the article source.... ARTICLE SOURCE: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251214100928.htm
I could write my 25 year-old story of how I got here, if anyone is interested, of how I was afraid to eat fat back then -- even though I had seen the results of a friend who went on the Atkins diet, and I'd read "The Cholesterol Myths," by Uffe Ravnskov, shortly after it was translated to English. He was obviously right, beyond "a shadow of a doubt," but it took a couple more similar books and at least a year to overcome the decades-long idea that fat, butter, etc. was bad for me and the substitutes were good for me.
I ran into a guy in town yesterday (I live in a rural area, there is a one-traffic light town five miles away) that I know quite well, but haven't seen him in several years. He is almost 79 and he told me he is diabetic and has to inject insulin (he had a heart attack 6-8 years ago). I told him get rid of the carbs if you want to really fight the disease. I explained to him what I meant by "carbs," and that he could eat all the meat he wants, along with very low-carb veggies.
"Have you seen the price of meat lately?" was his response. Then he went on about how well his wife is taking care of him, making sure he gets all his meds on time, etc. Okay, that is certainly great and I'm glad for him; that's a valuable resource that I don't have. But they're apparently following the "Standard of Care" for diabetics, so we know he is never going to get better or ever get off the drugs.
What I thought of later, that I didn't think of at the time, to his comment about the price of meat, was "What price would you pay for not going blind? Or not having your feet chopped off?"
He's very adept at the internet, so hopefully I put a bug in his ear and maybe he'll do some research. "You can lead a horse to water . . . "