More people are adopting a vegan, or plant-based, diet every day as they become more aware of the health benefits of a vegan diet.  There are roughly 25% of 25- to 34-year-old Americans identify as vegans or vegetarians, according to an article published in The Economist in 2019. According to the food-focused website Chef’s Pencil, interest in veganism will reach an all-time high in 2020.

For many, the benefits of a vegan diet are a no-brainer. Some are concerned about animal welfare, while most vegans focus on the many health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Others are concerned about the meat industry’s negative impact on the environment as animal agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the largest sources.

Although animal welfare and the environment are important, this article will focus on those who choose to refrain from eating meat for health benefits. We’ll review whether the health benefits of a plant-based diet are worth the sacrifice based on actual data.

What do Vegans Eat?

A vegan diet consists solely of plant-based foods. This diet excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. Some people avoid eating honey as well. Veganism is a dietary choice for some and a lifestyle choice for others.

Are Vegan Diets Healthier?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common and deadly disease often detected at a routine visit with your primary physician. There was an article published in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology a few years ago. It noted there are one billion people worldwide, including 80 million Americans over the age of 20, estimated to have high blood pressure.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Data Examination Survey, only 54% of hypertensive adults in the United States had their blood pressure under control, and 17% were undiagnosed.

These numbers explain why the number of hypertension-related deaths remains high. According to a Global Burden of Disease study, hypertension is the leading risk factor for deaths and disability-adjusted life-years worldwide.

Hypertension and a plant-based diet

If you or someone close to you is one of the billion people afflicted with hypertension, this next section contains factual information of great value. Here are summaries of extensive studies from recent years broken down in laymen’s terms.

Study 1

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford study completed a cross-sectional analysis of 11,004 British men and women in four dietary categories: 1) meat eaters, 2) fish eaters, 3) vegetarians, and 4) vegans.

The results emphasized the health benefits of a vegan diet by revealing that vegans had the lowest signs of hypertension.

 Study 2

A study comparing blood pressure levels among vegans, vegetarians (who consume vegetables, eggs, and dairy products), and non-vegetarians was performed by the Adventist Health Study-2 on 500 mostly white subjects. Of course, Adventists tend to eat less meat than those consuming a typical Western diet.

Compared to non-vegetarians, vegans and vegetarians had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Consequently, they had significantly lower odds of hypertension (0.37 and 0.57, respectively).

Furthermore, when compared to vegetarians, the vegan group used fewer antihypertensive medications and had lower blood pressure readings after adjusting for body mass index.

Another AHS-2 sub-study looked at hypertension in a black population and discovered that the combined vegetarian/vegan group had a significantly lower risk of hypertension (0.56) than non-vegetarians.

Study 3

In a three-year prospective group study of 1546 non-hypertensive subjects, those who consumed more plant-based foods had a lower risk of developing hypertension. Similarly, a group study of 4109 non-hypertensive subjects was followed for an average of 1.6 years. The results found vegetarians had a 34% lower risk of developing hypertension than non-vegetarians.

Why is the Vegan Diet Healthy?

Several changes occur in the body when consuming a plant-based diet, which explains the decrease in blood pressure. Here are some of those changes.

• First is something called vasodilation. This term is simply the widening and relaxing of our blood vessels resulting in improved (lowered) blood pressure.
• Increased antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Decreased blood viscosity (thinner blood flows more effortless)

In summary, long-term randomized controlled trials that look at the effects of plant-based diets on a wide range of health outcomes, including hypertension must continue. Consequently, doctors can make medical guidelines and improve our understanding of the link between diet and disease. Because of the health benefits of a vegan diet, we think it’s best to eat mostly or entirely plant-based foods to keep hypertension at bay.

References:

1. Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ. Hypertension and blood pressure among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians, and vegans in EPIC-Oxford. Public Health Nutrition.
2. Fraser G, Katuli S, Anousheh R, et al. Vegetarian diets, and cardiovascular risk factors in black members of the Adventist health study-2. Public Health Nutr. 2015
3. Golzarand M, Bahadoran Z, Mirmiran P, et al. Dietary phytochemical index is inversely associated with the occurrence of hypertension in adults: a 3-year follow-up (the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
4. Suter PM, Sierro C, Vetter W. Nutritional factors in the control of blood pressure and hypertension. Nutr Clin Care
5. Yokoyama Y, Nishimura K, Barnard ND, et al. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med.
6. Zhou MS, Wang A, Yu H. Link between insulin resistance and hypertension: What is the evidence from evolutionary biology? Diabetol Metab Syndr
7. Eddouks M, Bidi A, El Bouhali B, et al. Antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity. J Pharm Pharmaco