ArticleBMC nutrition2024
Plant-based diets and cardiovascular risk factors: a comparison of flexitarians, vegans and omnivores in a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Gut Microbiota as an Innovative Therapeutic Target in Cardiovascular Diseases from a Metabolic and Inflammatory Perspective.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Plant-based diets for human health with implications for cardiometabolic health, gut microbiome, and nutritional adequacy.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- From Curiosity to Consumption: Consumer Attitudes Toward Alternative Proteins in Northwestern Italy.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Prevalence and socio-economic disparities in vegetarianism and flexitarianism over 15 years: the Dutch Lifelines Cohort.European journal of public health · 2025Article
- Sustainability and role of plant-based diets in chronic kidney disease prevention and treatment.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Foods, dietary patterns, and risk of vascular dementia: a systematic review.Nutrition & metabolism · 2024Review
- Cardiovascular Health and Diet Quality among Vegetarians, Vegans and Omnivores: Insights from a Large Urban Population in Poland.Nutrients · 2024Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe growing trend towards conscious and sustainable dietary choices has led to increased adoption of flexitarian diets, characterised by plant-based eating habits with occasional consumption of meat and processed meat products. However, the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors associated with flexitarian diets compared to both vegans and omnivores remain underexplored.
methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 94 healthy participants aged 25-45 years, categorized into long-term flexitarians (FXs ≤ 50 g/day of meat and meat products, n = 32), vegans (Vs, no animal products, n = 33), and omnivores (OMNs ≥ 170 g/day of meat and meat products, n = 29) were included. Various CVD risk factors were measured, including fasting blood samples for metabolic biomarkers, body composition analysis via bioimpedance, blood pressure measurements, arterial stiffness evaluated through pulse wave velocity (PWV) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity was determined using browser-based calculations (MetS-scores). Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), diet quality was calculated with the Healthy Eating Index-flexible (HEI-Flex), while physical activity levels were recorded using the validated Freiburger questionnaire.
resultsThe data showed that FXs and Vs had more beneficial levels of insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol compared to OMNs. Notably, FXs revealed the most favorable MetS-score results based on both BMI and waistline, and better PWV values than Vs and OMNs. In addition, FXs and Vs reported higher intake rates of vegetables, fruit, nuts/seeds and plant-based milk alternatives.
conclusionThe flexitarian diet appears to confer cardiovascular benefits. While Vs had the most favorable results overall, this study supports that reducing meat and processed meat products intake, as in flexitarianism, may contribute to CVD risk factor advantages.
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