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

A new multinational study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity has found that a plant-based diet is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The study, led by researchers from the University of Vienna in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, France, and Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea, analyzed data from more than 400,000 individuals aged 37 to 70 across six European countries.

The researchers drew on two major European cohort datasets—UK Biobank and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study—covering populations in the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Their analysis revealed that individuals who adhered more closely to a healthy plant-based diet had a significantly lower risk of multimorbidity, a condition characterized by the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases.

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