Work

Adherence to a healthy plant-based diet is associated with adiposity indicators in Costa Rican adults

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Plant-based diets have been associated with favourable health outcomes; however, not all plant-based diets are of the same quality. This study aimed to investigate the associations between three plant-based diet indices: overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy PDI (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) and measures of adiposity: wrist circumference, waist circumference, waist:hip ratio and BMI. This study used data from 2027 controls in the Costa Rica Heart Study, a case–control study. A validated FFQ was used to create the plant-based diet indices. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between quintiles of the plant-based diet indices and adiposity indicators. Higher hPDI scores were associated with lower adiposity, with waist circumference showing the strongest association. Participants in the highest hPDI quintile had a β = −1·90 cm (95 % CI: −3·32, −0·49) lower waist circumference and a β = −0·72 kg/m 2 (95 % CI: −1·33, −0·10) lower BMI compared with participants in the lowest quintile. Significant linear trends were observed with waist circumference ( P -trend = 0·0037), waist:hip ratio ( P -trend = 0·0064) and BMI ( P -trend = 0·0171). Subjects in the 5th quintile of the overall PDI had significantly lower waist circumference ( β = −1·75 cm (95 % CI: −3·14, −0·36)), waist-to-hip ratio ( β = −0·010 (95 % CI: −0·019, −0·001)) and BMI ( β = −0·62 kg/m 2 (95 % CI: −1·22, −0·02)). In general, uPDI showed no significant associations with adiposity indicators. Among Costa Rican adults, adherence to hPDI is associated with lower adiposity, whereas uPDI showed no association, indicating the quality of plant-based diets plays a role in body composition.

Source: British Journal Of Nutrition

DOI: 10.1017/s0007114526107788

Authors: Maymona Al-hinai, Abeer Ali Aljahdali, Hannia Campos, Ana Baylin

Institutions: Sultan Qaboos University, King Abdulaziz University, University of Michigan, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Nutritional Studies and Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550