Plant-Based Diets May Help Prevent Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease
- Research shows there are various benefits associated with following a plant-based diet.
- Studies have shown that a plant-based diet may be better for preventing diabetes than a low carb diet.
- A 30-year study published in 2024 notes that a diet with a higher ratio of plant to animal protein may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- A 2025 study found that a plant-based diet may have the same nutritional quality as a Mediterranean-style omnivorous diet pattern.
A plant-based diet means that your meals consist mostly of plants, such as:
- vegetables
- fruits
- whole grains
- beans
- nuts and seeds.
While both vegetarian and vegan diets are types of plant-based diets, you do not have to fully cut out meat. You may still include meat in your diet, it just typically is not the main feature of meals.
Healthy plant-based diets center fresh, whole foods, and do not to replace meat with highly processed meat substitutes.
For a healthy plant-based diet, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends choosing high-quality, nutrient-dense plant-based foods.
Over the years, many studies have suggested that a plant-based diet can benefit health in various ways.
Here are some of the recent study findings and expert insights on the benefits of a plant-based diet and how it compares to a Mediterranean diet, another contender for the “top healthiest diet” title.
In October 2025, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Morning Consult conducted a poll and found that 65% of adults in the United States would consider adopting a plant-based, low-fat diet if their doctor recommended it.
Many people are aware that eating more fruits and vegetables may help lower the risk of diabetes. However, only one in five respondents to the poll recognized the connection between a plant-based diet and the prevention or reversal of type 2 diabetes.
The reserch cited by the Physicians Committee notes that a low carb diet that is based in animal products may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
One paper they cited referred to a 22 week study, where 99 participants followed either the standard recommended diet by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or a low-fat vegan diet with no calorie or unprocessed carbohydrate limits.
The results of this study showed that only 26% of the ADA diet group were able to reduce or discontinue their diabetes medications, compared with 43% of the vegan diet group.
Dawn Menning, a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes care and education specialist with Nutu, a healthy lifestyle app, recommends starting slowly by trying Meatless Monday each week to introduce more plant-based foods into your diet. Then you can begin to gradually add more days.
“Search for vegetarian recipes that are easy to prepare and sound appealing to you and others in your household,” Menning said. “Gradually shift away from animal foods and make plants the star of the meal.”
Research has shown that a higher ratio of pant to animal protein may be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
A study published in 2024 found that people who ate the highest percentage of plant-based protein to animal protein had a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 27% lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) when compared to people who ate the lowest rate of plant-based protein to animal protein.
Andrea Glenn, RD, PhD, lead author of the study and a visiting scientist in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a press statement: “The average American eats a 1:3 plant-to-animal protein ratio. Our findings suggest a ratio of at least 1:2 is much more effective in preventing CVD. For CHD prevention, a ratio of 1:1.3 or higher should come from plants.”
The study authors noted that the reduction in risk of these conditions may be due at least in part to replacing red or processed meat with plant-based proteins, such as nuts and legumes.
These proteins are often associated with higher amounts of fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins. They may also help improve cardiometabolic risk factors, such as inflammatory biomarkers, blood lipids, and blood pressure.
A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in November 2025 suggests that a plant-based diet can offer similar nutritional benefits to those of a Mediterranean diet. The findings also suggest that a plant-based diet may help reduce your environmental footprint.
The researchers who conducted the study note that choosing a plant-based diet should be done strategically in order to make sure you are still getting enough of key nutrients.
For this research, the authors — from the University of Granada and the Spanish National Research Council — used four different week-long menus. Each provided about 2,000 calories a day.
These included:
- Mediterranean omnivorous diet
- pesco-vegetarian diet (which includes fish)
- lacto-ovo–vegetarian diet (with eggs and dairy)
- fully vegan diet.
They found that a carefully designed plant-based diet can meet most of the same nutritional targets as a typical Mediterranean-style omnivorous diet.
Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian and founder of Entirely Nourished, who was not involved in the study, said that it’s essential to examine your overall diet and lifestyle comprehensively to address potential nutritional gaps.
She told Heathline, that: “Careful planning is important to identify alternative sources that provide the key nutrients found in the foods they avoid. Working with a registered dietitian can make this process easier and more reliable, so you can confidently maintain nutritional adequacy while aligning with your dietary choices.”
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that this was a modeling study, not a trial involving real people.
That means the results show what could work under ideal conditions, not necessarily what will happen in everyday life. Factors such as cost, taste preferences, cooking skills, and access to fortified foods can influence these eating plans.
However, the findings provide encouraging evidence for those considering a shift toward a plant-based diet. With some planning, it’s possible to maintain good nutrition while also making choices that may benefit the planet.
The key takeaway is that you do not have to go fully plant-based to make a difference.
You can make small changes that incorporate more plant-based meals that can help you maintain optimal nutrition and still reduce your carbon footprint.