DiseasesHeart and cholesterol: Does a plate of vegetables work better than statins?
- Ewa Dąbrowska — Post na choroby serca
- Ewa Dąbrowska — Schorzenia i świadectwa
- Ewa Dąbrowska — Dieta warzywno owocowa
- Diets to prevent coronary heart disease 1957-2013: what have we learned? · Am J Med 2014
- [Nutrition]. · Z Kardiol 2005
- Drugs and lifestyle for the treatment and prevention of coronary artery disease: comparative analysis of the scientific basis. · Braz J Med Biol Res 2011
- The correlation between PURE healthy diet and premature coronary artery disease: Iran premature coronary artery disease (IPAD) study. · BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2025
- Association Between Fruits and Vegetables Consumption and Premature Coronary Artery Disease (PCAD): A Multi-Center Case Control Study. · Food Sci Nutr 2026
- Association of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption During Early Adulthood With the Prevalence of Coronary Artery Calcium After 20 Years of Follow-Up: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. · Circulation 2015
- Greater Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Is Associated With Lower Prevalence of Peripheral Artery Disease. · Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2017
- A Plant-Based Diet and Cardiovascular Disease, Coronary Heart Disease, and Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. · Nutrients 2026
Ewa Dąbrowska claims that a fruit-and-vegetable fast reverses atherosclerotic changes, but does not explicitly say that it treats coronary artery disease.
- Ischaemic heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, which can narrow blood vessels and limit blood flow to the heart.
- Ewa Dąbrowska adds that fasting may improve the strength of the heart’s contractions; in monitored patients, cholesterol initially rose temporarily.
What the authors write
During fasting, when the body stops receiving calories, atherosclerotic changes are said to reverse.
Fasting is said to reduce visceral fat, normalize blood sugar and blood pressure, and dissolve blood clots near atherosclerotic plaques.
Fasting is said to increase the strength of the heart’s contractions and improve its function.
Blood cholesterol temporarily increased during a fruit-and-vegetable diet in monitored patients with atherosclerosis.
Ischaemic heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, and restricted blood flow to the heart can lead to a heart attack.
Atherosclerosis involves the buildup of plaques and the narrowing of blood vessels.
Ewa Dąbrowska links atherosclerosis with insulin resistance and claims that fasting reduces excess body fat and reverses fatty liver disease.
Ewa Dąbrowska again links atherosclerosis with insulin resistance and attributes the reduction of excess body fat and reversal of fatty liver disease to fasting.
Ewa Dąbrowska points out that lifestyle, especially a diet high in processed foods and a lack of physical activity, matters in the development of atherosclerosis.
Ewa Dąbrowska says that the INTERHEART study found that following three rules could reduce the risk of a heart attack by as much as 80%.
Research from PubMed · Europe PMC
We selected 8 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.
Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 34.
A review indicates that the Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular events more effectively than a low-fat diet, but does not show that a fruit-and-vegetable fast reverses atherosclerosis.
Aim of the study: Our understanding of the potential cardioprotective properties of nutrition is relatively recent, with most relevant studies completed in the last several decades. During that time, there has been an evolution in the focus of nutritional intervention.
Results: During that time, there has been an evolution in the focus of nutritional intervention. Early trials emphasized reduction of dietary fat with the goal of preventing heart disease by reducing serum cholesterol. Results from trials focused exclusively on dietary fat reduction were disappointing, prompting subsequent studies incorporating a whole diet approach with a nuanced recommendation for fat intake. The Mediterranean-style diet, with a focus on vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains, and olive oil, has proven to reduce cardiovascular events to a degree greater than low-fat diets and equal to or greater than the benefit observed in statin trials.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The description indicates that a healthy diet rich in fiber, fruit, and vegetables may limit the development and progression of atherosclerosis, but does not discuss fasting or reversal of the disease.
Aim of the study: The favorable effect of a healthy diet on the initial development and the further progression of atherosclerosis has been demonstrated. The effect is significant even in patients with adequate pharmacological treatment.
Results: Therefore fatty fish more than once a week, nuts, fruits and vegetables (>400 g/day) have a prognostically favorable effect, whereas the supplemental use of antioxidative vitamins is of no proven benefit. These recommendations result from the experience gained over generations in millions of people in different countries (Mediterranean and Asian) with a low rate of coronary events and a high life expectancy. These dietary habits are associated with a low rate of neoplasm and of osteoporosis. The recommendation for this type of diet is a class-I recommendation.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review lists a healthy diet with fruit and vegetables as a lifestyle factor associated with lower cardiac risk, but does not confirm that fasting reverses atherosclerosis.
Aim of the study: In this article, we compare two strategies for atherosclerosis treatment: drugs and healthy lifestyle. Statins are the principal drugs used for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Results: Nevertheless, there are difficulties in implementing these measures both at the individual and population levels. Changes in behavior require multidisciplinary care, including medical, nutritional, and psychological counseling. Participation of the entire society is required for such implementation, i.e., universities, schools, media, government, and medical societies. Although these efforts represent a major challenge, such a task must be faced in order to halt the atherosclerosis epidemic that threatens the world.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
In the study, greater adherence to the PURE diet, which includes fruit and vegetables, was associated with a lower risk of premature coronary artery disease, but fasting and reversal of the disease were not studied.
Aim of the study: Although dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets have been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk, their regional applicability may be limited. The PURE healthy diet, with an emphasis on consumption of certain food groups rather than limiting others, may provide a more culturally appropriate approach.
Results: Greater adherence to the PURE healthy diet was associated with a significant reduction in PCAD risk. Participants in the highest quartile had a 66% lower likelihood of having PCAD compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.26-0.46; p < 0.001). Nuts (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.43-0.73, P for trend < 0.001) and legumes (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95, P for trend < 0.004) were major contributors to this protection, as their removal weakened the association. The PURE healthy diet shows strong potential in reducing the risk of PCAD, with this inverse association persisting even after excluding one of the six food groups. However, longitudinal studies are essential to confirm these findings.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The study found that eating fruit and vegetables more often was associated with a lower risk of premature coronary artery disease, but did not assess fasting or the regression of atherosclerosis.
Aim of the study: Few investigations have examined the association of fruits and vegetables with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This study aimed to evaluate the association between fruits and vegetables intake and PCAD, as well as its severity.
Results: In both genders, greater intake of fruits, vegetables, and total fruits and vegetables was considerably and negatively associated with the risk of PCAD. Furthermore, the severity of PCAD was inversely correlated with fruits and vegetables intake (p < 0.001). We found an inverse relationship between fruits and vegetables consumption with odds of PCAD in Iranian ethnicities. Our findings highlight dietary habits' role in reducing PCAD risk and severity, guiding prevention and clinical care.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
Greater fruit and vegetable intake in early adulthood was associated with a lower prevalence of coronary artery calcification 20 years later, but does not prove that fasting reverses these changes.
Aim of the study: The relationship between intake of fruits and vegetables (F/V) during young adulthood and coronary atherosclerosis later in life is unclear.
Results: We studied participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a cohort of young, healthy black and white individuals at baseline (1985-1986). Intake of F/V at baseline was assessed using a semiquantitative interview administered diet history, and coronary artery calcium was measured at year 20 (2005-2006) using computed tomography. We used logistic regression to adjust for relevant variables and estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals across energy-adjusted, sex-specific tertiles of total servings of F/V per day. Among our sample (n=2506), the mean (SD) age at baseline was 25.3 (3.5) years, and 62.7% were female. After adjustment for demographics and lifestyle variables, higher intake of F/V was associated with a lower prevalence of coronary artery calcium: odds ratio (95% confidence interval) =1.00 (reference), 0.78 (0.59-1.02), and 0.74 (0.56-0.99), from the lowest to the highest tertile of F/V, P value for trend <0.001.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
More frequent fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a lower likelihood of peripheral artery disease, but the study did not assess fasting or coronary artery disease.
Aim of the study: Although fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, its association with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is less certain. We, thus, sought to characterize F&V intake and investigate the association between F&V consumption and presence of PAD in a large community sample.
Results: Self-referred participants at >20 000 US sites who completed medical and lifestyle questionnaires were evaluated by screening ankle brachial indices for PAD (ankle brachial index ≤0.9). Among 3 696 778 individuals, mean age was 64.1±10.2 years and 64.1% were female. Daily consumption of ≥3 servings of F&V was reported by 29.2%. Increasing age, female sex, white race, never smoking, being currently married, physical activity, increasing income, and frequent consumption of fish, nuts, and red meat were positively associated with daily consumption of F&V. After multivariable adjustment, there was a stepwise inverse association between F&V intake and PAD. Participants reporting daily intake of ≥3 servings of F&V had 18% lower odds of PAD than those reporting less than monthly consumption. In unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted models, the inverse association with F&V became stronger as ankle brachial index decreased.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
A meta-analysis found that a plant-based diet, especially a healthy one, is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease, but does not prove that it reverses existing atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease.
Aim of the study: Background/Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between a plant-based diet (PBD) and the incidence of total cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke in a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Results: We found no significant association with stroke risk. Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that a PBD was inversely associated with the risk of CVD and CHD. A hPBD showed an inverse association, whereas a uPBD showed a positive association between cardiovascular health. Further well-designed interventions are needed to clarify these associations.
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
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