Effects of short-term restriction of animal products on blood biomarkers and cardiovascular disease risk

ABSTRACT Dietary interventions constitute a means of untapped potential for the prevention and management of diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and inflammatory disorders. The extent to which dietary modification can contribute to disease prevention and treatment however remains unclear. Here, we addressed the effects of a dietary pattern, involving periodic animal product restriction (APR), on markers of human health. We compared blood biomarkers, complete blood counts, anthropometric traits and blood pressure between two dietary states for a unique group of 200 individuals from Greece, who alternate between omnivory and APR, for religious reasons. We used linear mixed effects models to report changes in measured traits between dietary states. Short-term APR was linked to a reduction in levels of total and LDL cholesterol [both β=-0.3, p<0.0001], to a 72% decrease in CRP concentration [β=-1.3, p=0.001], to reduced platelet counts [β=-9.8, p<0.0001] and to a concurrent reduction in CVD risk (5.3% to 4.9%, p=0.02), shifting APR-practicing individuals from a high to a low-to-moderate risk group. Beneficial changes were recorded for markers of renal and liver function, with the exception of ALP [β=2.5, p<0.0001]. These changes were not detected in a control group of 211 continuously omnivorous individuals. Overall, short-term APR was linked to a biomarker profile associated with positive effects on health, suggesting that even modest dietary modifications can be harnessed towards disease prevention.