When it comes to heart health, diet plays a crucial role. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a healthy diet usually comprises fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean proteins. It also limits saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium, which the body adds.
A new study has looked at and compared the benefits of a vegan and an omnivorous diet on heart health. The results are quite interesting.
Difference Between Vegan And Omnivorous Diet
A vegan diet cuts out all animal products, including meat, milk, and eggs, and focuses solely on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
On the other hand, an omnivorous diet incorporates a variety of foods, including both animal and plant-based sources.
Omnivores consume meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, along with fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Also Read: Does A Vegan Diet Have Health Benefits? Dieticians Decodes
Study Details
The study, published in the Journal JAMA Network Open, involved 22 sets of identical twins (44 participants), where each pair followed either a vegan or an omnivorous diet. The 44 participants in the study, all of whom were omnivores before the research, either followed a vegan diet, which comprised entirely plant-based foods with no meat or animal products, or an omnivore diet that included meat, eggs, dairy, or any other animal product. Both diets were carefully crafted to be balanced and promote heart health.
“The idea of working with identical twins was fascinating to us," Dr Christopher D. Gardner, PhD, a nutrition scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine at Stanford University and senior author of this study, told Medical News Today, adding, "When randomising identical twins to two study arms, the genetics are perfectly matched, and likely many other factors are matched because these pairs were raised in the same families, lived in the same neighbourhoods, and have many other similarities. In fact, it was quite entertaining how much these adult identical twins looked alike, dressed alike, and talked alike.”
Speaking with Health, he said that involving identical twins in the study gave it “more scientific rigour."
Vegan Diet Better For Heart Health?
The researchers from Stanford University found that a healthy vegan diet is much more beneficial for the heart than a healthy, omnivorous diet.
The study closely tracked the cholesterol levels of each participant throughout the research period. It was found that the average baseline LDL cholesterol level in people following the vegan diet was 110.7 mg/dL, and for the omnivore participants, it was 118.5 mg/dL.
By the end of the study, the researchers found that the levels dropped to 95.5 for vegans and 116.1 for omnivores.
Additionally, those who followed a vegan diet also reported a roughly 20% drop in fasting insulin, which is one of the major risk factors for diabetes.
Also Read: Following A Vegetarian Diet? How To Get The Most Nutrients & Common Mistakes To Avoid
Other Ways To Support Your Heart
- Besides eating healthy, here are some other ways to improve heart health:
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Indulge in regular exercise—at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly
- Quit smoking
- Limit alcohol
- Monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other heart health indicators regularly
Conclusion
Looking after your heart health is crucial, especially when the number of heart attack cases, not just in the elderly but among young people, is increasing day by day. Since most heart-related conditions are silent and unpredictable, getting regular heart screenings is of utmost importance. Stay connected with your doctor for the same.