9 Scientific Benefits You’ll Get From a Plant-Based Diet
Diet & NutritionPlant-Based Diets

9 Scientific Benefits of Following a Plant-Based Diet

9 Scientific Benefits of Following a Plant-Based Diet
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Updated on March 24, 2026
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For years, registered dietitians and nutrition scientists alike have touted the perks of eating plants and cutting back on meat. Indeed, the benefits of a plant-based diet are well researched and becoming increasingly well-known.

 Additionally, following a plant-based diet can reduce humans’ environmental impact.

Experts agree that there are many reasons to prioritize a plant-based diet. “Whether you are an animal lover or an environmental advocate, or you want to live your healthiest life, being plant-based is the one underlying thread that seems to be compelling to so many of us,” says Maya Feller, RD, the Brooklyn-based author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook.

Here, learn more about plant-based eating, plus what the research says about how doing so can benefit your mind and body.

What Does It Mean to Eat Plant-Based?

Going plant-based is not so much adhering to a strict diet as it is an approach to the way you eat. There’s no need to count calories or stress about meeting certain macronutrient goals each day. It’s simply about eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal-based ones.

There are several interpretations of the diet:

  • Vegetarian Diet People following a vegetarian diet may eat cheese, eggs, and milk, but they do not eat meat, such as chicken, pork, and beef. Instead of meat, they lean on plant-based protein.
  • Vegan Diet This eating plan forgoes animal products altogether (including milk, cheese, and honey). People on a vegan diet exclusively eat plants.
  • Raw Vegan Diet Those who follow this more restrictive version of a vegan diet eat only raw, plant-based foods, like fruit, uncooked vegetables, and sprouted grains.
  • Flexitarian Diet People who follow a flexitarian plan cut down on their meat intake and eat a diet primarily filled with plants, but they consume some animal products, including meat, intentionally.

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What Beginners Should Know About Plant-Based Eating

Find out how eating more plants and less meat may be beneficial — and how to adopt this eating style the right way.

Here, we’re talking mainly about the benefits of a flexitarian diet, which Krista Linares, RD, founder of Nutrition Con Sabor based in Los Angeles, says is the more balanced approach, compared with other nutrition plans.

She says that for current meat eaters looking to switch to a plant-based diet, dismissing animal foods across the board can make mealtimes stressful. Furthermore, eating a diet free of animal foods can make it challenging to source micronutrients that are less common in plant-based foods, such as B12

 and iron.

Still, having a diet rich in plant-based food offers myriad benefits. “All people can benefit from the health effects of increasing the proportion of plants on their plates,” Feller says. And the research agrees: You’ll see plenty of benefits from a plant-based diet. Below, check out the specific ways that this eating plan supports your physical and mental health.

1. A Plant-Based Diet May Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can increase your risk for health issues like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, the foods you eat can make a difference.

 Several studies have shown that sticking with a plant-based diet can reduce blood pressure, thereby reducing your risk for those conditions. A study of nearly 2,300 people found that consuming more and a wider variety of plant-based protein may reduce the risk of high blood pressure by as much as 16 percent, compared with those who ate the fewest plant foods.

Overall, following a plant-based diet can help support lower blood pressure and boost heart health versus eating an animal-protein-based diet.

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2. A Plant-Based Diet May Keep Your Heart Healthy

Meat contains saturated fat, which can contribute to heart issues when eaten in excess. So by cutting back on meat and loading up on plant-based foods, you’re doing your ticker a favor.

 Eating a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A study of nearly 5,000 people ages 18 to 30 who did not have cardiovascular disease concluded that plant-based eating and cutting out animal products in this phase of life can help lower the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and heart failure. In fact, a 32-year follow-up found that those who focused on eating fruits, veggies, and even nonfried and low-fat animal products in moderation were 52 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

However, being over age 30 isn’t a reason to assume you’ve aged out of the benefits of a plant-based diet. Another study found that in postmenopausal women, eating plant-based foods known to lower cholesterol, like nuts and plant protein, helped lower the risk of heart disease by 11 percent and risk of heart failure by 17 percent.

But it’s not just about limiting meat consumption: To help prevent cardiovascular disease, you want to prioritize eating foods that are anti-inflammatory, many of which are plant-based foods. These include green leafy vegetables, yellow vegetables, whole grains, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish, tomatoes, and fruits.

 Likewise, you’ll want to avoid pro-inflammatory foods, such as processed meats, processed foods, fried foods, and refined sugar.

3. A Plant-Based Diet May Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

It’s well-known that there’s a link between diet and type 2 diabetes. Weight is a major risk factor since more fatty tissue makes the cells more resistant to insulin.

 But which type of diet is best to reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes? Studies suggest that a plant-based plan offers serious benefits.
Eating a plant-based diet filled with high-quality plant foods and lowering or eliminating animal-product intake can reduce a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 This effect is likely because plants are lower in saturated fats than food derived from animals. Saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

But just following a plant-based diet isn’t enough to reduce your risk of diabetes. Research suggests that it’s also necessary to eat a variety of whole grains, raw and cooked vegetables, fruit, and legumes. Doing so may help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by 18 percent for those following a plant-based diet, 32 percent for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (which includes eggs and dairy but excludes meat), and 35 percent for a vegan one.

4. Eating a Plant-Based Diet Could Help You Lose Weight

Your risk of obesity decreases when you swap a meat-heavy diet for one that’s plant-based. In short, plant eaters tend to weigh less, even if that’s not always their top goal when choosing the eating plan. “The idea is to nourish the body and cells to improve health outcomes, but weight loss may be a by-product of replacing and reducing certain foods,” Feller says.

A whole-food, plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, and legumes can help you drop pounds. A study on 90 people who were overweight found that after 12 weeks of eating a plant-based diet, those who adopted a vegan diet lost 6.7 percent of their body weight and those who followed a largely plant-based diet lost 5.6 percent of their body weight.

Whole grains and vegetables are relatively low on the glycemic index, which means your body digests them more slowly, and many fruits contain antioxidants and fiber, which prolong fullness. It’s incredibly important to prioritize healthy, quality plant-based foods if weight loss is your goal. “Someone can eat a very healthy plant-based diet, but they can also eat a very unhealthy plant-based diet,” Linares says.

5. Following a Plant-Based Diet Long-Term May Help You Live Longer

All of the potential health benefits of eating plant-based roll into one major gain: living longer. Following a plant-based diet can help lower your risk of dying from cancer by 12 percent and heart disease by 19 percent, and reduce your risk of early death by 16 percent.

 Furthermore, opting for plant-based proteins like nuts, legumes, and veggies over animal-based proteins like meat as you age can help you live longer.

6. A Plant-Based Diet May Decrease Your Risk of Cancer

Research suggests that following a plant-based diet may help prevent cancer. One of the best ways to source cancer-protective nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, is to eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and some animal foods.

Plant-based diets are typically high in fiber, which is important for protecting against bowel cancer. And plant-based diets often help support a healthy body weight, which reduces the risk of at least 13 types of cancer, according to cancer prevention recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund.

7. A Plant-Based Diet May Improve Your Cholesterol

High cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits in the blood, which can restrict blood flow and potentially lead to heart attack, stroke, or heart disease.

 But a healthy diet can help keep cholesterol levels in check. Specifically, moving away from a diet filled with animal products and toward one that’s primarily plant-based can lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, since these foods are low in fat and high in fiber.

 In one study, those eating vegan or vegetarian diets had reduced LDL cholesterol compared with those who ate mainly animal-based protein.

8. Eating a Plant-Based Diet May Minimize Your Risk of Stroke

Your risk for stroke increases if you have high blood pressure, are overweight, have diabetes or heart disease, have high cholesterol, or smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs. You can avoid these risk factors by following a plant-based diet and making healthy lifestyle choices.

 According to the American Heart Association, more than half of strokes are preventable by getting early screenings and engaging in a healthy lifestyle, including increasing physical activity, getting better sleep, quitting smoking, and improving dietary habits.

 One simple way to reduce your risk is by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. These foods are great sources of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, helping reduce your risk of stroke.

9. Ramping Up Your Plant Intake May Keep Your Brain Strong

In addition to the many physiological benefits of following a plant-based diet, there are some possible mental health ones. “There is some compelling research examining plant-based diets and their role in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s,” Feller says. Indeed, research supports adding leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli to your diet to help slow cognitive decline.

 And eating fruits like blueberries and strawberries daily may help reduce the risk of dementia.

The likely reason? Fruits and vegetables are rich in polyphenols, which are also found in whole grains — all cornerstones of a plant-based diet. Polyphenols may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and may help reverse cognitive decline.

The Takeaway

  • Extensive research backs the many health benefits of following a plant-based diet.
  • Eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal products can support heart health, reduce stroke risk, and lower the incidence of cognitive decline, among other benefits.
  • If eating a plant-based diet interests you, it doesn’t have to be complicated or strict — focus on increasing the portions of plants on your plate and decreasing your intake of animal products.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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Kayli Anderson, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.

Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.

Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.

She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.

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Moira Lawler

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Moira Lawler is a journalist who has spent more than a decade covering a range of health and lifestyle topics, including women's health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and travel. She received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young children, and a giant brown labradoodle.
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