The medical community has encouraged a focus on plant-based protein in recent years, and with good reason.
Heart Health
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2024 analyzed 30 years of data on diet, lifestyle, and heart health in more than 200,000 men and women. The analysis revealed that, compared with people whose diets had the lowest ratio of plant to animal protein, those whose diets had the highest ratio were 19 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 27 percent less likely to experience coronary artery disease.
Those risk reductions were even greater for people who ate more protein overall.
“Nutrition from plant protein sourced from plant-based diets is typically of higher quality than an omnivorous diet,” says Colin Zhu, DO, a physician and trained chef who has served on the board of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. “When intentionally planned, a whole foods, plant-based diet provides sufficient nutrient intakes for all stages of life and can be therapeutic for chronic disease, overall health, and healing.”
Gut Health
Plant-based protein sources are often high in fiber, which can improve gastrointestinal function as well as reduce LDL cholesterol levels and overall cardiometabolic health, says Stephani Johnson, RDN, an adjunct professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
“It is important to note that this refers to unprocessed or minimally processed plant-based protein foods — legumes, nuts, and soy — rather than highly processed meat alternatives,” she notes.
Other Benefits
Plant proteins offer antioxidants and “a wide range of minerals that most animal proteins lack,” says Kacie Vavrek, RDN, a dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “These nutrients support heart health, improve gut health, help regulate blood sugar, and reduce inflammation,” she says.
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