Healthy Plant-Based Eaters Have 16% Lower Risk of Early Death, UK Biobank Study Finds

People who eat the most healthy plant foods have a 16% lower risk of dying during follow-up, a study of more than 126,000 UK adults has found.

Researchers led by Queen's University Belfast used repeated 24-hour diet records from 126,394 UK Biobank participants followed for 10 to 12 years. Compared with the bottom quarter, those in the top quarter of the healthful plant-based diet index had a 16% lower risk of death, 14% lower risk of heart attack and 16% lower risk of ischaemic stroke, along with lower risks of cancer and heart disease overall. The links held regardless of sex, smoking, weight and, for heart disease, genetic risk. The study is published in JAMA Network Open.

It is an observational study, and a diet high in refined grains, sugary drinks and sweets was linked to higher risk.

Healio reports the findings too. The authors conclude in the full paper:

The findings of this cohort study of middle-aged UK adults suggest that a diet characterized by high-quality plant-based foods and lower intakes of animal products may be beneficial for health, irrespective of established chronic disease risk factors and genetic predisposition.

It echoes US research showing healthy plant-based diets are linked to lower risk of death in US adults, and comes weeks after a French study linked a healthy plant-based diet to 22% lower breast cancer risk.

Whole plant foods for the win!