Not all plant foods are good for your heart
Quality of plant-based diets in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease risk: the ATTICA cohort study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The overall plant-based diet index showed no significant association with heart disease risk, despite high consumption of plant foods.
Most public health messaging says ‘eat more plants’—but this study shows that if those plants are refined, sugary, or fried, they cancel out the benefits of whole plant foods.
Practical Takeaways
Swap refined grains for whole grains, sugary drinks for water or tea, and fried potatoes for roasted veggies or legumes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The overall plant-based diet index showed no significant association with heart disease risk, despite high consumption of plant foods.
Most public health messaging says ‘eat more plants’—but this study shows that if those plants are refined, sugary, or fried, they cancel out the benefits of whole plant foods.
Practical Takeaways
Swap refined grains for whole grains, sugary drinks for water or tea, and fried potatoes for roasted veggies or legumes.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Year
2022
Authors
M. Kouvari, T. Tsiampalis, C. Chrysohoou, E. Georgousopoulou, J. Skoumas, C. Mantzoros, C. Pitsavos, D. Panagiotakos
Related Content
Claims (6)
It doesn’t matter as much how much fat, carbs, or protein you eat—what really matters is whether the foods you eat are healthy or processed.
People in Greece who eat mostly healthy plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains tend to have lower heart disease risk—even when you account for things like how old they are, whether they smoke, or how much they weigh.
Not all plant foods are the same for your heart—eating things like whole grains and nuts may help lower your risk of heart disease, but eating sugary drinks and white bread might raise it.
People in Greece who eat lots of healthy plant foods like whole grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables over 10 years are much less likely to get heart disease than those who eat very little of these foods.
If Greek adults eat more unhealthy plant-based foods like white bread, soda, sweets, and fried potatoes, they’re 34% more likely to develop heart disease for every small increase in how unhealthy their diet is.