Plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, natural seed oils, and whole grains are vital components of traditional diets mostly in Asian specific regions. Evidence suggested that plant-based diets and dietary patterns have the potential to prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), following individual’s dietary profile, nutritionist can recommend that individual for high intake of plant-based food products while limiting the intake of animal-based foods. Higher consumption of plant foods has been reported to reduce systolic blood pressure and plasma triglyceride levels, thereby lower the risk of CVDs. The plant-based food contained multiple beneficial nutrients which have protective effects on CVDs; it includes mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, ω-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, and plant protein. In healthy plant-based dietary practices, the food should not be necessarily low in fat. Mostly, these diets contain unsaturated fats in predominant form of total dietary fats (eg, fats from natural unprocessed vegetable/ seeds/ nuts oil), whole grains as the main source of carbohydrates, an abundance of fruit and vegetables, and adequate ω-3 fatty acids. The aim of this review is the associations of plant-based diets in prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and discusses the potential biological mechanisms underlying their health benefits, practical recommendations, and applications for treating the patients as well as directions for future research. 

Keywords: Plant-based food, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nutrients, Patients

Sananda Mondal is a assistant professor of crop physiology, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, has 11 years of teaching and research experience. Her area of expertise is plant tissue culture, stress physiology, seed invigoration technology, plant growth regulation, seed physiology, etc. She has more than 50 research papers and book chapters in different national and international journals. She is also member of various reputed societies.