Table 2. Selected nutritional characteristics by tertiles of plant-based diet index in the Jackson Heart Study.
| Characteristic | Overall plant-based diet index | p-Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertile 1 | Tertile 2 | Tertile 3 | ||
| Life’s Simple 7 healthy diet score* | 1.1 (1.0) | 1.3 (0.9) | 1.5 (0.9) | <0.001 |
| Total energy intake, kcal/day | 2,525 (899) | 2,142 (916) | 2,103 (836) | <0.001 |
| Total fat, g/day | 106.9 (42.9) | 86.2 (40.9) | 81.4 (38.1) | <0.001 |
| Protein, g/day | 98.2 (39.4) | 76.6 (35.1) | 69.2 (30.7) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol, g/day | 6.4 (17.6) | 3.2 (8.6) | 2.1 (6.3) | <0.001 |
| Saturated fatty acid, g/day | 35.5 (14.9) | 26.6 (13.0) | 23.2 (11.5) | <0.001 |
| Carbohydrates, g/day | 290 (117) | 269 (123) | 283 (115) | <0.001 |
| Dietary fiber, g/day | 21.1 (9.6) | 21.4 (10.3) | 24.7 (11.1) | <0.001 |
| Fruit, servings/day | 2.5 (2.7) | 2.8 (2.9) | 3.7 (3.3) | <0.001 |
| Vegetables, servings/day | 3.9 (2.4) | 3.8 (2.4) | 4.4 (2.7) | <0.001 |
| Whole grains, servings/day | 0.8 (0.8) | 1.0 (0.9) | 1.3 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Nuts, g/day | 7.3 (11.5) | 7.6 (10.8) | 9.0 (11.7) | <0.001 |
| Fish, g/day | 24.5 (36.4) | 19.7 (26.9) | 18.9 (23.0) | <0.001 |
| Processed meat, g/day | 28.0 (31.1) | 18.3 (20.5) | 13.7 (15.5) | <0.001 |
| Beverages, g/day | 359 (369) | 314 (330) | 301 (327) | <0.001 |
| Sweetened beverages, servings/week | 12.9 (17.7) | 11.0 (15.0) | 9.9 (12.2) | <0.001 |
| Animal protein, g/day | 70.0 (32.9) | 47.6 (25.7) | 36.8 (21.3) | <0.001 |
| Vegetable protein, g/day | 23.5 (9.5) | 22.0 (9.7) | 23.3 (9.5) | <0.001 |
| Cholesterol, mg/day | 459 (218) | 297 (163) | 221 (127) | <0.001 |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids, g/day | 38.1 (16.3) | 29.6 (15.5) | 27.0 (14.1) | <0.001 |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids, g/day | 22.0 (9.9) | 18.9 (10.0) | 18.8 (9.7) | <0.001 |
| Sodium, mg/day | 4,001 (1,533) | 3,283 (1,461) | 3,077 (1,343) | <0.001 |
| Potassium, mg/day | 2,781 (1,122) | 2,448 (1,084) | 2,421 (1,049) | <0.001 |
| Phosphorus, mg/day | 1,449 (570) | 1,131 (508) | 1,026 (454) | <0.001 |
| Calcium, mg/day | 894 (413) | 717 (347) | 647 (291) | <0.001 |
| Magnesium, mg/day | 281 (100) | 250 (99) | 257 (99) | <0.001 |
| Iron, mg/day | 14.9 (6.2) | 12.8 (5.9) | 12.7 (5.5) | <0.001 |
| Vitamin A, mg/day | 7,181 (3,268) | 6,745 (3,396) | 7,002 (3,047) | 0.003 |
| Vitamin C, mg/day | 113 (83) | 110 (79) | 118 (75) | 0.063 |
| Folate, mg/day | 296 (123) | 266 (115) | 277 (113) | <0.001 |
| Vitamin B12, μg/day | 6.7 (4.2) | 4.9 (3.4) | 4.0 (2.6) | <0.001 |
| Zinc, mg/day | 12.7 (5.6) | 10.0 (4.8) | 9.1 (4.3) | <0.001 |
Values are mean (standard deviation). Statistical differences were tested using analysis of variance for continuous variables with p < 0.05 denoting statistical significance. Dietary data were self-reported.
*Life’s Simple 7 healthy diet score is a measure of adherence to 5 healthy dietary goals with score ranging from 0 (least healthy) to 5 (most healthy). Healthy diet score components are as follows: fruits and vegetables, ≥4.5 cups/day; fish, ≥2 3.5-ounce servings/week; fiber-rich whole grains (≥1.1 g of fiber per 10 g of carbohydrate), ≥3 1-ounce servings per day; sodium, ≤1,500 mg/day; and sugar-sweetened beverages, <36 fluid ounces/week (≤450 kcal/week). Dietary recommendations are scaled according to a 2,000-kcal/day diet.