What if our plant-based diet was also our best ally in protecting our heart? Two studies published in June 2025 in BMC Medicine and BMC Public Health are reinforcing the evidence for the protective role of plant-based diets in cardiovascular health. By cross-referencing these new data, this article explores the practical implications for the food ingredients sector.
Two publications, one direction: a close link between plants and cardiovascular prevention
While cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading cause of death, Research continues to document the links between plant-based diets and prevention. Two new epidemiological studies, published almost simultaneously in June 2025, add to this body of science with solid data from large European cohorts.
The first, published in BMC Medicine (1), is derived from the’This is the result of the EPIC-Oxford study, which is tracking more than 65,000 adults in the UK. It compared the incidence of cardiovascular disease in participants with omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan diets. The striking result was that people on vegetarian or vegan diets had a significantly reduced risk of developing ischaemic heart disease (coronary heart disease). More specifically, vegetarians and vegans have a risk reduced by 20 to 22 % compared to meat eaters.
The second study, published in BMC Public Health (2), is based on data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort, conducted in France. It looks at the nutritional quality of plant-based diets and their link with cardiometabolic risk factors. The researchers distinguish between “healthy” plant-based diets (rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and oilseeds) and “less healthy” diets (based on processed, sugary or refined foods). The verdict: only high-quality plant-based diets have a protective effect on the risk of metabolic syndrome, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Cross-referencing data for a better understanding
These two studies, although distinct, provide a complementary perspective:
| Study | Population | Main result | Involvement |
| EPIC-Oxford (BMC Medicine) | 65,000 UK adults | -22 % risk of coronary heart disease in vegetarians/vegans | A plant-based diet appears to be protective in the general population |
| NutriNet-Santé (BMC Public Health) | 23,000 adults France | Fewer cardiometabolic risk factors with “healthy” plant-based diets” | Not all plant-based diets are created equal |
The first confirms a strong statistical link between a plant-based diet and a reduction in heart disease.
The second refines the analysis: this benefit depends on the quality of the plant foods consumed. In other words, replacing meat with ultra-processed vegetarian snacks won't be enough.
Opportunities for you
This new data is invaluable for players in the B2B plant ingredients sector. They support recent strategic choices and open up new avenues for innovation.
1. Enhancing the value of plant-based health ingredients in formulations
The NutriNet-Santé study highlights the importance of fibre, antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids and a good glycaemic index. This highlights key ingredients with great potential:
- Pulses (chickpeas, lentils, broad beans)
- Wholegrain and pseudo-cereals (quinoa, oats, barley)
- Oilseeds (flax, chia, sunflower)
- Polyphenol-rich ingredients (grape extract, cocoa, green tea)
2. Differentiate on nutritional quality, not just plant-based“
The plant-based label is no longer enough. What these two studies show is that’a plant product must demonstrate its nutritional density to be truly beneficial. Formulations based on starches, added sugars or artificial flavourings may be plant-based... but without any health benefits, or even with harmful effects.
3. Adapting marketing storytelling
These data provide credible, sourced arguments that can be incorporated into marketing pitches: cardiovascular benefits, effect on metabolic biomarkers, differentiation between “plant-based health” and “plant-based transformed”.
It's also an opportunity to build bridges between nutrition, public health prevention and product formulation.
4. Contribute to preventive nutrition
At a time when European public policies are reinforcing their messages about preventive diets (One Health, Planetary Health Diet), these recent studies reinforce the nutritional proposals that include health, sustainability and quality dimensions.
Conclusion: moving from green to green plants
These two scientific publications are not vegan manifestos, but robust epidemiological demonstrations. They confirm that plant-based diets - if properly constructed - have a measurable impact on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
For ingredient manufacturers, this reinforces the importance of investing in plant-based solutions with high nutritional value, based on science and tailored to the expectations of brands, health professionals... and consumers.
Are you developing plant-based health ingredients? These results are a strategic opportunity for your positioning. Let's talk about it together, so that you can promote your expertise in your next campaigns.
Sources
1. Kavanagh, M.E., Zurbau, A., Glenn, A.J. et al. The portfolio dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease mortality during 1988-2019 in US adults: a prospective cohort study. BMC Med 23, 287 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04067-1
2. Chen, V., Chiavaroli, L., Glenn, A.J. et al. Portfolio diet and LDL-C in a young, multiethnic cohort: cross-sectional analyses with cumulative exposure modeling. BMC Public Health 25, 1761 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22479-9