More than 20 years of research has shown that vegetarian and vegan diets are generally healthier than those including meat.
However, scientists caution against broad dietary recommendations given the limitations of previous studies.
Researchers involved with the new study looked at 48 papers published between January 2000 and June 2023 and analysed the data involving plant-based diets, cardiovascular health, and cancer risk.
However, among pregnant women specifically, those with vegetarian diets faced no difference in their risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension compared to those on non-plant-based diets.
Overall, these findings suggest that plant-based diets are associated with significant health benefits, the researchers said.
However, they noted the finding is significantly limited by the many differences between past studies, including the diets followed, patient demographics, study duration, and other factors.
