This Diet May Cut Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease Multimorbidity: Study Suggests

Notably, the study found that in the UK Biobank cohort, those with higher adherence to a plant-based diet had a 32% reduced risk of developing multimorbidity compared to individuals with lower adherence. This association held true for both middle-aged individuals and those over the age of 60, highlighting the broad health benefits of this dietary pattern across age groups.

The healthy plant-based dietary pattern studied included high intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and plant-based alternatives like vegan sausages, with limited consumption of meat and processed animal products.

“You don’t have to cut out animal products entirely,” said Reynalda Córdova, lead author and nutritional epidemiologist. “Shifting towards a more plant-based diet can already have a positive impact.”

“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,” added Córdova.

The authors concluded that public health interventions should promote predominantly plant-based diets as a preventive measure against multimorbidity linked to cancer and cardiometabolic diseases.

Reference: Plant-based dietary patterns and age-specific risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective analysis, Córdova, Reynalda et al. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Volume 0, Issue 0, 100742