A meta-analysis of 30 RCTs (European Heart Journal, 2023): vegetarian and vegan diets lowered total cholesterol by 0.34 mmol/L, LDL by 0.30 mmol/L and apolipoprotein B versus omnivorous diets.

European Heart Journal · 2023Open accessPMID 37226630

Key facts

Who was studied: Adults (>18 y) in 30 RCTs comparing vegetarian or vegan vs omnivorous diets
Sample: 30 studies
Main result: Plant-based diets reduced LDL-C by −0.30 mmol/L (95% CI −0.40, −0.19) vs omnivorous diets.
Authors: Koch CA, Kjeldsen EW, Frikke-Schmidt R
Full text: PubMed Central (free)DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad211

Editorial summary by Vegan Guide based on the publication. This is not medical advice.

Study details

Limitations

Small sample sizes of individual RCTs.
Most interventions lasted under one year.
No participant blinding in any RCT.

Funding: Lundbeck Foundation, Danish Heart Foundation, Leducq Foundation

Conflict of interest: declared