“The Vegetable Diet Is Good For The Heart”

It is the year of veganism, without a doubt. The Economist magazine described it in January as an upward trend for this 2019 and one of the most successful campaigns in Europe, Veganuary, confirmed it at the beginning of April: more than a quarter of a million people have joined the challenge of eating vegan during the month of January.

The majority, 46%, did so for health reasons, so we interviewed the researcher and doctor Ángela López Sainz, Associate Physician in the Image Unit of the cardiology service of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona University Hospital.

Ángela López: “The vegetable diet can reverse certain cardiovascular diseases”

How long have you been vegan and why, Angela?
Vegan for less time, but vegetarian for 5 years now. Also, I have hardly eaten meat for almost 10 years.

What are you focusing your studies and research on right now?
I have studied medicine specializing in cardiology. My background is mainly clinical and research, so my day to day consists mainly of the care and management of patients who suffer from heart diseases, both of genetic origin and those caused mainly by a harmful lifestyle.

Is a plant-based diet related to better cardiovascular health? What do we know so far?
Without a doubt. A plant-based diet is per se low in saturated fat and rich in vitamins and antioxidants. In fact, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Cancer Research Foundation recommend it in order to prevent both cardiovascular diseases, such as cancer or diabetes. Both organizations emphasize the need to base the diet on vegetables and limit, in particular, the consumption of red meat.

Throughout the last 5 years, scientific articles have been published showing the benefits of a plant-based diet. Doctors such as Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn proved with their studies that following a plant-based diet low in saturated fat, rich in complex carbohydrates and basically plant-based protein, and changing some lifestyle habits (moving the body for a minimum of 30 minutes per day), can even reverse the progression of certain cardiovascular diseases

Which ones, for example?
I am referring specifically to all those secondary to atherosclerotic disease, such as myocardial infarctions and the progression of damage to a state of heart failure, which involves admission after admission and polypharmacy.

How could we continue to expand studies to see the relationship between a vegan diet and good cardiovascular health?
So far most of the published clinical studies have been aimed at assessing the benefits of a plant-based diet, as a global term. The truth is that the evidence is far less for what a strictly vegan diet is. So I think it needs to be scientifically validated. Especially at the present time in which many comments from important “influencers” have come to light declaring that they are leaving veganism for health reasons.

Is it logical that Campofrío sponsors the Spanish Heart Foundation?

Associations such as the Spanish Heart Foundation are sponsored by ultra-processed meat companies such as Campofrío, what is your opinion on this?
Obviously I do not defend this position, since I believe that it causes a loss of credibility of the messages that we give in our consultations. I understand that at the time we are experiencing economic crisis, all these kinds of foundations seek some type of subsidy from external companies, but their choice should be more closely watched.

He often complains that there are menus in hospitals that are of poor quality for the sick, what can a typical menu be and how could we improve it?
Terms such as “malnourished health” are currently on the lips of all specialists. Images on television and social media show that the menus given to admitted patients leave much to be desired. And we are not talking about “aesthetics”, but many times in the hospitalization floors we see how the menu leaves much to be desired in terms of nutritional quality. In my opinion, products such as processed foods or red meat, high in saturated fat, should be prohibited. Butters, jams with a high sugar content, brick juices, pastries or cold cuts should also disappear from patient trays. How should they be? It’s simple: more fruit, more vegetables and more legumes.

“In the hospitalization floors we see how the menu leaves much to be desired in terms of nutritional quality”

The keys to cardiovascular health

How can we maintain good cardiovascular health? What are the keys?
Just by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables we increase the possibilities. On the contrary, the consumption of meat and other foods of animal origin have shown that, possibly due to their high content of saturated fat, they promote the development of cholesterol plaque in the blood vessels. In addition, this type of food increases the exposure to antibiotics, mercury and other heavy metals and xenoestrogens in fish and carcinogenic substances in meat that are formed when cooked at high temperatures.

What are the main cardiovascular diseases in the Spanish population?
According to the latest records, cerebrovascular diseases in general, and ischemic heart disease in particular, are the main causes of death in our population. It is very rare to find someone who does not know or is even related to someone who has suffered a heart attack.

Although there is much talk about the low rates of cardiovascular diseases and cancer among the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, what is really meant is that they are lower than in other developed countries such as the US. However, the rates of cardiovascular disease in the Mediterranean are significantly higher than the rates of rural Chinese or, for example, the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico, who follow almost exclusively plant-based nutrition.

“The lowest rates of cardiovascular disease are found, for example, among the Tarahumara, who follow almost exclusively plant-based nutrition.”

Do the recommendations for the general population regarding cardiovascular health make sense?
The emphasis on risk factors by our profession is an unspoken concession. And this which sounds so technical, is what we are so tired of hearing: avoiding tobacco and sedentary life, and above all following a “healthy” diet. These are very general recommendations that obviously have to be adapted to each specific patient and each pathology. But what is clear is that we will never hear from the mouth of a cardiology specialist that we need to increase the intake of red meat or processed products.

How can we be more responsible when spreading a message in the general population? What kinds of messages do we have to avoid giving?
We are in the era of new technologies, where anyone can spread an opinion on any subject and influence public opinion. But when it comes to health, I think this should be more restricted. Specialist doctors, nutritionists or people with a scientific background should lead the recommendations regarding what is or is not a healthy and nutritionally complete diet.