Vegetarianism Reduces Heart Risk By 1/3

Author: Alexander Bruni Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: January 27, 2026

In this article, learn more about Vegetarianism Reduces Heart Risk By 1/3. A vegetarian diet reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease..

A vegetarian diet reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease by a third, according to a study by Oxford University. This is the largest study finding the benefits of vegetarianism for heart health, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . The result was obtained after analyzing the data of nearly 45,000 people who participated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) project , which tracks their health and habits for 20 years, from 1990 to 2009.

The database includes answers to questions about health, lifestyle, amount of food consumed per day, diet, physical activity, bad habits, etc. In 20 thousand people were monitored and changes in blood pressure and blood tests , including for cholesterol .

1235 cases of ischemic heart disease were confirmed during the study period.

In analyzing the final results, the researchers found that those who followed a vegetarian diet had a 32% lower risk of coronary heart disease. Factors such as age, gender, body mass index, socio-economic conditions, etc. were also taken into account . 34% of respondents identify themselves as vegetarians.

They have lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body mass index than meat eaters, which explains the result of a lower risk of coronary heart disease when following a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism Reduces Heart Risk By 1/3

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