- Reducing intake of processed foods, red meats, salt and sugars, while increasing fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and pulses can help reduce the risk of health conditions such as overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
- This type of diet is also good for the planet, as plant farming produces fewer gases that contribute to the climate crisis.
- Now, a study suggests that, for postmenopausal women, this type of diet can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.
- Encouragingly, the researchers say that even small changes to diet can have significant health benefits.
Altering diet and lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of many health conditions.
Together with exercise, it also supports bone health, muscles and immunity, while helping to maintain a healthy weight.
Now, a new study has found that one type of healthy diet — the Planetary Health Diet — may be particularly beneficial for older women.
In the study, whose finings were presented at NUTRITION 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition, researchers found that women whose diet most closely followed the Planetary Health Diet had a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with a lower adherence to this type of diet.
These findings are yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal.
Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health Sciences, Chicago, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that:
“Research focused specifically on older women is particularly valuable because cardiovascular risk increases after menopause, as age-related changes in cholesterol, blood pressure, and metabolism accelerate vascular disease. Studies like this demonstrate that dietary modification remains a powerful tool for improving heart health, even later in life.”
“This is an interesting abstract and it is encouraging to see these results,” Eamon Laird, PhD, lecturer in Nutrition at the Atlantic Technological University Sligo and Adjunct Professor Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, likewise was not involved in the study, told MNT.
“However,” Laird noted, “I would add caution as it is only an abstract and would like to see the full detailed analysis before we fully embrace all the findings. Plus because this is an observational study, we cannot conclude that the diet itself caused the lower risk.”
The Planetary Health Diet is a “science-based dietary pattern designed to promote human health and protect the planet, linking what we eat with how we sustain life on Earth.”
It has much in common with other healthy-eating plans, such as the Mediterranean and DASH diets, in that it is rich in plants.
The majority of the diet is made up of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, with only moderate or small amounts of fish, dairy, and meat recommended.
Although the diet focuses on the benefits to people’s health, eating this way also supports cultural and regional variation and reduces the environmental impact from food production and supply.
Researchers assessed the dietary intake of almost 67,000 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative observational study.
At enrolment, the women had a mean age of 63.2 years. Researchers followed them up for a median of 8.2 years, during which time they recorded 5,033 cardiovascular events.
All participants completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, from which the researchers calculated their Planetary Health Diet scores, on a scale of 0 to 140.
Researchers divided the scores, which ranged from 35 to 123, into five groups, from least to greatest adherence, and 10-point increments.
The researchers adjusted for factors that might impact cardiovascular health, including sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors (smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity), energy intake, and body mass index.
“These findings align with what we’ve consistently seen in other plant-forward dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean and MIND diets, which have been associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk and better vascular health. The planetary health diet similarly emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats, providing fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats that help reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function, lower LDL cholesterol, and support healthy blood sugar regulation.”
— Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS
“In postmenopausal women, improvements in metabolic health may be particularly important because the decline in estrogen is associated with adverse changes in cholesterol, body fat distribution and vascular function,” Laird also added.
Laird suggested simple dietary changes that can help protect cardiovascular health and reduce environmental impact.
- fill half the plate with vegetables at every meal
- choose oily fish or legumes more often and reduce processed meats such as sausages or bacon
- choose whole grain bread, oats or brown rice instead of refined grains
- replace one or two meat-based meals each week with meals based on beans, lentils or chickpeas
- reduce food waste by planning meals and using leftovers.
Holland echoed this advice, adding that, “together, diet and exercise help stabilize blood sugar, lower LDL cholesterol, improve HDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and support healthier blood vessels, including the coronary arteries that supply the heart.“
“Consistently combining these healthy lifestyle habits remains one of the most effective ways to promote healthy aging, maintaining cognitive and physical functionality, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” he noted.
“Small, consistent changes practiced over time will more often produce much greater long-term health benefits than short-lived, dramatic, ‘fad’ diet changes.”
— Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS
