WASHINGTON, D.C. — Half of U.S. adults say they know eating a plant-based diet can improve their health and help prevent chronic diseases, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey . However, the survey also showed that just 1 in 5 primary care practitioners discuss this lifesaving message with patients.
The poll included 2,203 U.S. adults surveyed April 15 to April 16, 2025.
Xavier Toledo, a registered dietitian with the Physicians Committee, a health advocacy group with 17,000 physician members, lauded the findings, which show most people recognize the health benefits of plant-based eating.
"What's missing," Mr. Toledo said, "is support and guidance from health care professionals. This represents a huge missed opportunity to turn interest into action—and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases that affect millions."
When asked if they'd be willing to try a plant-based diet if shown evidence of its benefits, 65% of survey respondents said they would.
A wealth of studies supports this, including:
- A major 2023 meta-analysis of more than 2 million people that found higher adherence to plant-based diets—especially those rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains—is associated with significantly lower risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and early death. These findings reinforce the growing evidence that plant-based eating can help prevent many of the leading causes of death.
- A large U.S. study of more than 70,000 adults that found vegans and vegetarians have a lower risk of early death compared to people who eat meat. In the study, vegans saw up to a 15% lower risk overall, with especially strong results for heart disease. The findings come from the Adventist Health Study 2—one of the largest studies to directly compare plant-based and meat-based diets.
- A 2017 meta-analysis that reviewed studies comparing vegetarian and vegan diets to meat-based diets and found that vegetarian diets were linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Vegans also had a lower risk of cancer, though fewer studies focused specifically on them. While most of the research looked at disease risk rather than lifespan, the findings support the broader conclusion that plant-based eating can reduce the risk of major chronic diseases.
For those ready to get started on a plant-based diet, the Physicians Committee has a free Vegan Starter Kit that contains recipes, links to resources, and more. The organization also publishes a list of plant-based health care providers.
To fill the gaps in medical schools, the Physicians Committee offers plant-based education tools to medical and nursing students to increase awareness of nutrition education in educational institutions. And the organization recently praised New York legislators for introducing a bill to ensure physicians are kept informed about the latest continuing medical education opportunities in nutrition, which will help doctors in the state improve patient health outcomes and reduce racial disparities for the millions of New Yorkers struggling with diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
