
Vienna, Austria — A large-scale international study involving over 400,000 adults from six European countries has found that a predominantly plant-based diet significantly reduces the risk of developing multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions.
The research, led by the University of Vienna in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France and Kyung Hee University in South Korea, analyzed dietary habits and disease patterns among individuals aged 37 to 70. The findings were published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
Using data from two major cohort studies—the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and the UK Biobank—the researchers examined health outcomes across Italy, Spain, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. One key finding from the UK Biobank revealed that individuals who closely followed a plant-based diet had a 32% lower risk of multimorbidity, defined as the presence of two or more chronic diseases.
“You don’t have to cut out animal products entirely,” said Reynalda Córdova, lead author and nutritional epidemiologist. “Even shifting toward a more plant-based diet can have a measurable positive impact.”
The study also explored age-related differences, showing that both middle-aged adults (under 60) and older individuals (60 and above) benefited from reduced risks of cancer and cardiometabolic multimorbidity when adhering to plant-based eating patterns.
A healthy plant-based diet, as defined in the study, includes higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and plant-based alternatives like vegan sausages or burgers, while limiting meat and processed animal products.
“This research reinforces Austria’s new dietary guidelines, which emphasize plant-based foods and minimal animal-based intake,” said Karl-Heinz Wagner, co-author and president of the Austrian Society for Nutrition. “It also highlights environmental co-benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and land use.”
The authors recommend that public health policies and dietary guidelines incorporate these findings to help prevent multimorbidity and promote healthier aging across populations.
The study was co-led by Reynalda Córdova (University of Vienna) and Jihye Kim (Kyung Hee University, South Korea), marking a significant step forward in understanding the long-term health impacts of dietary choices.