Nutritional Impacts of Plant-Based Diets on Health

Plant-based diets, characterised by high intakes of fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts, have drawn considerable attention for their potential to reduce the burden of chronic disease, support environmental sustainability and improve overall health. Evidence indicates that diets rich in minimally processed plant foods are generally associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, largely through favourable effects on blood lipids, glucose regulation, body weight and blood pressure. At the same time, exclusive or poorly planned avoidance of animal-derived foods can increase the risk of deficiencies in micronutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, iodine, calcium and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Emerging research highlights the importance of dietary quality within plant-based patterns, distinguishing healthful choices—such as whole fruits, legumes and leafy greens—from less healthful options high in refined carbohydrates and added fats. Global public health strategies increasingly focus on promoting balanced, nutrient-dense plant eating, including consumer education, fortification and targeted supplementation, to ensure both the environmental and individual health benefits of plant-based diets are realised without compromise to nutritional adequacy.

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Nutritional Impacts of Plant-Based Diets on Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional impacts of plant-based diets on health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Micronutrient: A vitamin or mineral required by the body in small quantities for essential metabolic and physiological functions.

Hazard ratio: A measure of how often a particular event happens in one group compared to another over time, commonly used in cohort studies.

Plant-based diet index (PDI): A scoring system that quantifies adherence to plant-rich dietary patterns, with variants distinguishing healthful versus unhealthful plant food consumption.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA): An imaging technique that accurately measures bone density and body composition, including fat and lean tissue mass.

References

1. Plant-based dietary patterns, nutrient intake, growth, and body composition in childhood: Results from a prospective population-based study. Clinical Nutrition (2025).
2. Risk of hypothyroidism in meat-eaters, fish-eaters, and vegetarians: a population-based prospective study. BMC Medicine (2025).
3. Metabolic and nutritional biomarkers in adults consuming lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets in Spain. A cross-sectional study. Food & Function (2023).