Study: Replacing Red Meat With Plants Protects Against Heart Disease

Want to lower your risk of heart disease? Also known as cardiovascular disease, heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's responsible for over 600,000 deaths each year.  A new study, however, has found that replacing red meats with plants may protect against heart disease. 

About the Study

The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that people who replaced red meats for plant-based foods in their diet were less likely to develop heart disease. For the study, researchers analyzed data involving over 40,000 adults who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

Researchers found that each daily serving of red meat increased the risk of heart disease by roughly 12%. Unprocessed red meat was associated with an 11% higher risk of heart disease. Processed red meat, on the other hand, was associated with a 15% higher risk of heart disease. Regardless, after crunching the numbers, researchers determined that adults who consumed red meat daily were more likely to develop heart disease.

Conversely, researchers found that adults who consumed more plant-based foods were less likely to develop heart disease. When adults stopped eating red meat and started eating plant-based foods, their risk of developing heart disease decreased.

"These findings are consistent with the effects of these foods on low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and support a health benefit of limiting red meat consumption and replacement with plant protein sources," wrote the study's researchers.

Why Plant-Based Foods Are Good for Your Heart

Plant-based foods offer a myriad of health benefits, many of which involve the heart. When you replace red meats with plant-based foods, you'll typically experience lower cholesterol levels. High cholesterol, of course, is a risk factor for heart disease. If your arteries are clogged with cholesterol, you'll be at risk for developing heart disease. The problem with red meat is that it contains high concentrations of bad fats, including saturated fat. If you consume red meat daily, all of this dietary fat will increase cholesterol within your arteries and, thus, place you at risk for developing heart disease.

Plant-based foods don't contain saturated fat, so you can rest assured knowing that they won't increase your cholesterol levels. On the contrary, plant-based foods contain nutrients and vitamins that can improve your heart health and protect against heart disease.