A plant-based diet can be good for your heart.

If you’re eating mostly or only fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and meat substitutes like soy, you may cut your odds of getting heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, compared to a diet that includes a lot more meat.

There are many different types of plant-based diets. The three most common ones are:

Vegan : No animal products such as meat, eggs, or dairy products.

No animal products such as meat, eggs, or dairy products. Lacto-vegetarian: No meat or eggs, but dairy products are OK.

No meat or eggs, but dairy products are OK. Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: No meat, but dairy products and eggs are OK.

You can eat a plant-based diet without going completely vegetarian.

Some people call themselves "flexitarians" or "semi-vegetarians," meaning that they occasionally eat meat, poultry, pork, or fish. You might also hear the term "pescatarian," which means they eat a plant-based diet plus fish.