A recent study published in The Lancet reveals that higher consumption of plant-based non-ultra-processed foods (non-UPF) is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
The United Kingdom (UK) study analyzed data from the UK Biobank, involving over 118,000 participants. The findings indicate that replacing 10% of UPF with plant-based non-UPF reduces cardiovascular disease risk. Plant-sourced non-UPF consumption was linked to a 7% reduced risk of incident cardiovascular disease and a 15% reduction in cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Conversely, higher intake of plant-sourced UPF increased health risks, with a 14% rise in all-cause mortality.
“Despite being plant-sourced, UPF-rich diets may still pose health risks due to negative effects caused by their composition and processing methods,” the study noted. “High content of unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugars in UPF contribute to dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic disorders, all cardiovascular disease risk factors.”
