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 ultraprocessed animal products—especially processed meats—consistently associated with increased disease risk, whereas 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 ultraprocessed 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 ultraprocessed foods behave the same metabolically. Ultraprocessed animal products—particularly processed meats—consistently increase disease risk, whereas many plant-based ultraprocessed 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?
