# Is a Vegan Diet Healthier than a Mediterranean Diet?

**By Neal Barnard, MD, FACC** · 2019-01-08

![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0319/0960/9603/files/vegan_a-300x225.jpg)Earlier this week, _U.S. News & World Report_ placed the Mediterranean diet at the top of its list of 40 best diets for 2019. But when it comes to health, the science shows that there’s something even better: a plant-based, or vegan diet. We've all heard that the Mediterranean diet can boost longevity. But why is that? Mediterranean diets are typically rich in vegetables and fruit, low in meat, and relatively low in fat. This is a healthy approach – to the extent that it emphasizes these plant-based foods. One study in the [_British Medical Journal_](https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/some-aspects-mediterranean-diet-more-healthful-others) showed that certain components of the diet, especially high vegetable consumption and low meat consumption, were more strongly linked to longevity than other components, such as fish consumption. High fruit, nut and legume consumption also contributed to longevity. To learn more about the benefits of a vegan diet over a Mediterranean diet, check out my presentation below. This is from last summer’s International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine in Washington, D.C. _Photo from [here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovemypit/2591739078/in/photolist-4X2kJw-9gSAXw-AuKVE-7jTCqr-BNGtu-5CsApq-7gK9iU-6RcerM-9njSEh-5fD1K6-8b9PyJ-ZZ2YT4-9YSnWT-7GBpzj-pge6kx-cybeb7-9Eev7M-aiDg3V-4cxKYA-atSUuq-aHJCjZ-53Z2uG-UbtXQC-67Nt8S-6C5oeU-26KUXci-4YLKBZ-kYmrmY-dQbeFW-p1VXhZ-8QXU8R-ajdyz6-6TiL6R-6ZmRX-23JzLj-bPtRFT-4sbxiD-5MGjr3-eeSajk-oaQnMy-dbgwx9-7Cg7R8-9pimrh-mNG8c3-fqYiz8-6TnMmm-7xEmJE-5C4K9c-5CWnUC-7rfzm9), with thanks._

**Tags:** Category_Diet, longevity, mediterranean diet, vegan

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> Source: [Village Green Apothecary](https://myvillagegreen.com/blogs/post/is-a-vegan-diet-healthier-than-a-mediterranean-diet)