Meat-based or vegan diet—which one really wins for health?

Aim of the study: High blood lipids, blood glucose, or blood pressure ("3Bs") are established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of vegetarian diets on these parameters were inconsistent in previous meta-analyses.

Results: The results showed that the vegetarian diets significantly reduced the blood total cholesterol [WMD: -0.54 (95% CI: -0.60, -0.48) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for observational studies; WMD: -0.24 (95% CI -0.37, -0.10) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for RCTs], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [WMD: -0.41 (95% CI: -0.48, -0.34) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for observational studies; WMD: -0.25 (95% CI: -0.38, -0.12) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for RCTs], and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [WMD: -0.07 (95% CI: -0.09, -0.05) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for observational studies; WMD: -0.07 (95% CI: -0.11, -0.04) mmol L-1, p < 0.001 for RCTs] level compared with the omnivorous diet in both healthy subjects and subjects with chronic diseases, while it had a null effect on the blood triglyceride level.

Aim of the study: What we eat is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, but health professionals may not have a clear understanding of the current evidence-based research to underpin eating habits and recommendations.

Results: The consumption of one unit of alcohol/day may contribute to a reduced cardiovascular risk without presenting an unfavourable risk profile. Generally, there is no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation reduces CVD risk. High potassium intake is beneficial in healthy individuals, calcium or selenium supplementation shows no added benefit, and high sodium intake is detrimental. Diet is a major component of CVD prevention, and health professionals should include dietary assessment and evidence-based recommendations in their clinical practice.

Aim of the study: Coronary artery disease (CAD), a primary component of cardiovascular diseases, is one of the top contributors to mortality rates worldwide. In 2021, dietary risk was estimated to be attributed to 6.58 million cardiovascular deaths.

Results: To ensure the accuracy and reliability of our review, we included a total of 55 full-text, peer-reviewed articles that demonstrated the effects of plant-based diets on CAD and were written in English. We excluded animal studies, in vitro or molecular studies, and non-original data like editorials, letters, protocols, and conference abstracts. In this article, we emphasize the importance of dietary interventions, such as PBDs, to prevent CAD and their benefits on environmental sustainability. Integrating plant foods and whole grains into one's daily eating habits leads to an increase in the intake of nutrient-rich foods while reducing the consumption of processed food could not only prevent millions of premature deaths but also provide prevention against many chronic gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases.

Aim of the study: The vegan diet, often known as a plant-rich diet, consists primarily of plant-based meals. This dietary approach may be beneficial to one's health and the environment and is valuable to the immune system.

Results: In comparison to omnivorous diets, which are often lower in such products, the vegan diet has been favorably connected with changes in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers such as reduced body mass index (BMI) values, total serum cholesterol, serum glucose, inflammation, and blood pressure. Reduced intake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), saturated fat, processed meat, and greater consumption of fiber and phytonutrients may improve cardiovascular health. However, vegans have much smaller amounts of nutrients such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), selenium, zinc, iodine, and vitamin B12, compared to non-vegans, which may lead to detrimental cardiovascular effects. This review aims to present the effect of plant-based diets (PBDs), specifically vegan diets, on the cardiovascular system.

Aim of the study: The first mention of a vegetarian diet in Poland appeared in the 19th century. Since then, its popularity has been growing steadily year by year.

Results: Such kind of nutrition based mainly on plant-derived products can effectively prevent diseases of civilization, reduce the risk of developing obesity, promote the maintenance of normal cholesterol and blood sugar, and lower blood pressure. However, an incorrectly balanced vegetarian diet may be associated with deficiencies of some vitamins and minerals. This paper reviews a few dozens of studies on people using a vegetarian diet in Poland. This review shows that vegetarians in Poland are not very well studied group and further research is needed.

Aim of the study: Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is one of the fastest-growing chronic diseases worldwide, affecting an estimated 589 million adults in 2024, with projections rising to 853 million by 2050. Dietary modification is a cornerstone of both T2D prevention and management.

Results: The interpretation of the available evidence is limited by the predominance of observational studies, heterogeneous definitions of plant-based dietary patterns, self-reported dietary assessments, and the limited availability of long-term randomized controlled trials. Conclusions: Current evidence supports healthy plant-based dietary patterns as an effective strategy for the prevention and management of T2D. Dietary patterns emphasizing whole plant foods, including legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while limiting processed and excessive red meat intake, are associated with improved metabolic health. Future high-quality randomized controlled trials with standardized dietary definitions are needed to further define the optimal composition of plant-based diets for diabetes prevention and treatment.

Aim of the study: Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with improved cardiometabolic health, including lower concentrations of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, adiposity, inflammation, and lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Results: We describe plausible mechanistic pathways, including lower saturated fat and cholesterol intake, reduced apolipoprotein A-I secretion and HDL production, and formation of smaller HDL particles that are cleared more rapidly. We suggest that modest HDL cholesterol reductions observed with healthy and appropriately planned plant-based diets should be interpreted within the broader context of net cardiometabolic benefit rather than as an isolated reason for clinical concern. However, substantial heterogeneity across studies-in both results and methodology, including variation in the definitions of plant-based diets-limits causal directionality and interpretation of reported diet-disease associations. Future analyses should improve diet classification and comparator selection, while controlling for weight change and macronutrient composition to isolate any potential effects of plant-based diets on HDL-related outcomes.