Plant-Based Diets Could Reduce Risk Of Certain Blood Clots, Study Finds

A recent study found that following a plant-based diet could significantly reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), blood clots in the circulatory system.

In the study, participants previously free of VTE followed healthy plant-based diets for up to 13 years. Those who closely followed a healthy plant-based diet had a 14 percent lower risk of developing VTE. Participants with a high genetic risk of developing the condition were 47 percent more likely to develop VTE than their peers, but those who ate primarily nutritious plant-based foods for the duration of the study also significantly reduced their overall risk.

JACC Journals published “Healthy Plant-Based Diet, Genetic Predisposition, and the Risk of Incident Venous Thromboembolism” in December last year. It included 183,510 participants and featured a long follow-up and sensitivity analyses. While the research suggests a link between healthy plant-based foods and VTE prevention, further studies are required.

“Adherence to a healthy plant-based dietary pattern could reduce the risk of developing VTE independent of genetic background, lifestyles, sociodemographic features, and multiple morbidities,” wrote the study authors. “Our findings underline the importance of diet in VTE prevention interventions.”

Plant-based diets, VTE risk, and preventative medicine

Adobe Stock Plant-based diets have a range of likely health benefits, including a reduction in VTE risk

Venous thrombosis describes the blockage of a vein by a clot. One common form is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and another is pulmonary embolism (PE). The latter describes when a thrombus, or clot, breaks loose from the deep veins to block an artery in the lungs.

Without treatment, VTE can cause damage and/or death. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the condition kills up to 100,000 Americans per year, while many others experience long-term and chronic complications from VTE.

The new study indicates that preventative lifestyle medicine in the form of a nutritious plant-based diet may help mitigate this statistic, even for those with pre-existing risk.

A separate study published in March found that healthy plant-based diets lower the risk of death from cardiometabolic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes. Combined, cardiometabolic disorders are the leading global cause of death. Meanwhile, another study found that swapping dairy for plant-based oil cuts the risk of death up to 17 percent.