In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, MBA, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, discussed insights from a study showing that replacing animal products with plant-based foods can meaningfully reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with important implications for pharmacist counseling. Kahleova, the lead author of the review, emphasized that pharmacists are uniquely positioned to integrate nutrition education into routine medication encounters, particularly when dispensing therapies for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes.1
Kahleova explained that evidence from the review shows cardiometabolic risk is influenced not only by food processing but also by food source, with ultra-processed animal products—especially processed meats—consistently associated with increased disease risk, while many processed plant-based foods demonstrate neutral or protective effects. Kahleova highlighted that practical, sustainable dietary shifts, such as replacing meat and dairy with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and even commonly consumed plant-based alternatives, can complement pharmacologic therapy and improve outcomes.
Pharmacy Times: Your review suggests that replacing animal products with plant-based foods, even some ultra-processed plant foods, may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. What should pharmacists take away first when counseling patients about diet and cardiometabolic risk?
Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, MBA: If a pharmacist is filling a prescription for a statin for cholesterol, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for hypertension, or semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy; Novo Nordisk) for type 2 diabetes—or any other pharmaceuticals to treat these conditions—it is an opportunity to talk to the patient about nutrition’s role in disease prevention and treatment.
Our review shows that replacing animal products with plant-based foods is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk, even when some of those plant foods are processed. Importantly, not all ultra-processed foods behave the same metabolically. Ultra-processed animal products—particularly processed meats—consistently increase disease risk, whereas many plant-based ultra-processed foods, such as breads and cereals, are associated with neutral or even protective effects.
For pharmacists, the key takeaway is that the source of the food matters at least as much as the degree of processing. Encouraging patients to reduce meat and dairy and shift toward plant-based foods—such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans—can meaningfully improve cardiometabolic health alongside standard medical therapy. Clinical research, including by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, shows that plant-based diets can help lower cholesterol and improve type 2 diabetes. Any dietary changes should, of course, be coordinated with the patient’s physician, especially as medication needs may change over time.2,3
Pharmacy Times: Many patients ask whether all plant-based foods are healthy. Based on your findings, how can pharmacists help patients distinguish between healthful plant-based choices and those that are plant-based but less beneficial?
Key Takeaways
- Nutrition counseling can be seamlessly integrated into statin, antihypertensive, and diabetes medication encounters to reinforce disease prevention.
- Ultra-processed plant-based foods generally carry lower cardiometabolic risk than ultra-processed animal products, making realistic substitutions both effective and sustainable.
- Simple dietary swaps—such as plant-based milks, cereals, legumes, and meat alternatives—can meaningfully reduce diabetes and cardiovascular risk when they replace meat and dairy.
Kahleova: Our review highlights that plant-based foods are not nutritionally identical, but overall, replacing animal products with plant foods consistently improves cardiometabolic risk—even when those plant foods are processed. Pharmacists can provide simple guidance by emphasizing dietary patterns rather than perfection. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes should form the foundation of the diet because they are naturally high in fiber, low in saturated fat, and rich in protective nutrients.
At the same time, commonly consumed processed plant-based foods—such as breads, breakfast cereals, plant milks, and plant-based meat alternatives—were associated with a lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease when they replaced animal products. These foods are often practical, affordable, and familiar, which can help patients maintain long-term dietary changes. Rather than discouraging foods solely based on processing level, pharmacists can help patients understand that plant-based choices, even when processed, are generally preferable to animal-based products high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Pharmacy Times: Given your findings, what are the most impactful dietary swaps that pharmacists can recommend in brief patient counseling encounters to help reduce diabetes and heart disease risk?
For pharmacists, the key takeaway is that the source of the food matters at least as much as the degree of processing. - Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, MBA
Kahleova: Our findings showed that processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meat increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes (while our review didn’t look at unprocessed meat, research shows that it also increases the risk of these diseases). But our review found that ultra-processed plant-based foods like breads, cereals, and plant-based meat alternatives reduce the risk of these conditions.
This makes counseling straightforward. Pharmacists can recommend simple, realistic substitutions such as:
- Choosing oatmeal or cereal instead of bacon and eggs
- Using plant-based milks instead of dairy milk
- Selecting veggie sausages or plant-based breakfast sandwiches
- Replacing a cheeseburger with a veggie burger
- Choosing beans or lentils in place of meat in chili, tacos, or pasta dishes
Even small substitutions—especially when they replace processed meats—can meaningfully reduce diabetes and cardiovascular risk over time.
REFERENCES
1. Halpern L. Plant-based foods, even if ultraprocessed, can reduce risk of diabetes. Pharmacy Times. Published January 29, 2026. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/plant-based-foods-even-if-ultra-processed-can-reduce-risk-of-diabetes
2. Barnard ND, Alwarith J, Rembert E, et al. A mediterranean diet and low-fat vegan diet to improve body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors: A randomized, cross-over trial. Journ Amer Nutrition Assoc. 2020;41(2):127-139. doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1869625
3. Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJA, et al. A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial. N Engl J Med. 2009;89)5):1588S-1596S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736H
