Plant-based diets can reduce the risk of multimorbidity, finds study

Lower risk of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease

The results: A stronger adherence to a healthy plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of cancer, cardiometabolic disease (diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), and multimorbidity, both in adults under 60 and those over 60. “Our study highlights that a healthy, plant-based diet not only influences individual chronic diseases but can also reduce the risk of developing multiple chronic diseases at the same time, in both middle-aged and older people,” Córdova summarized.

“The results show how important a predominantly plant-based diet is for our health and thus reinforce the new Austrian dietary recommendations, which emphasize plant-based food with a low proportion of animal-based foods. A co-benefit of a plant-based diet are lower greenhouse gas emissions and land use,” adds Karl-Heinz Wagner form the University of Vienna, co-author of the study and president of the Austrian Society for Nutrition.

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes have a positive effect

A healthy plant-based dietary pattern included for example, a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and vegan sausages or burgers and a lower intake of meat and meat products. The findings suggest that a diet consisting mainly of healthy plant foods and small amounts of animal-based foods can contribute to maintaining health into older age.

The authors conclude that dietary guidelines, public health measures, and interventions should consider that a diet primarily composed of plant-based foods with small amounts of animal-based products may help prevent multimorbidity related to cancer and cardiometabolic diseases.

Reference:

Córdova, Reynalda et al., Plant-based dietary patterns and age-specific risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective analysis, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, DOI:10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100742