Altering diet and lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of many health conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that a diet high in protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains, and low in added sugars and salt can help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
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.
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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.
Participants in the highest quintile had a 28% lower risk ofcardiovascular disease, and a 34% lower risk ofcoronary heart disease, than those in the lowest quintile. They also had a 22% lowerstroke risk, and a 31% lower risk ofheart failure.
“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.
The researchers found that for every 10-point increase in adherence to the Planetary Health Diet, there was a reduction in cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease risk.
Holland welcomed this finding, saying that:
“One of the most encouraging findings from this study is that meaningful (statistically significant) reductions in cardiovascular risk were seen even with moderate adherence. This really reinforces the point that every healthy choice counts. Rather than trying to completely change your diet overnight, focus on sustainable habits like adding an extra serving of vegetables, choosing whole grains more often, or replacing one meat-based meal each week with beans or lentils.”
Laird suggested simple dietary changes that can help protect cardiovascular health and reduce environmental impact.
These include:
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.”
