If you eat a lot of plant-based foods like white bread, soda, fries, and candy instead of healthy plants like vegetables and whole grains, you might be more likely to get heart disease—even if you don’t eat any meat. It’s not just about avoiding animal products; what kind of plants you eat matters.

If you eat a lot of plant-based foods like white bread, soda, fries, and candy, you might be more likely to get heart disease than people who don’t eat as much of these foods—even though they’re still plant-based.

People who eat more healthy plant foods like whole grains, fruits, nuts, and veggies—instead of processed stuff—tend to have a 25% lower chance of getting heart disease, especially if they’re health professionals in the U.S.

People who eat lots of healthy plant foods like whole grains, fruits, nuts, and veggies over a long time have a 25% lower chance of getting heart disease than those who don’t eat as many of these foods—so what you eat within a plant-based diet really matters for your heart.

People who eat more plants and less meat and dairy tend to have an 8% lower chance of getting heart disease, at least among U.S. health workers.

Eating more plants instead of animal foods might slightly lower your risk of heart disease, but only if those plants are healthy—like vegetables and whole grains—not junk food like soda or fries.