Vegetarian Diet Can Boost Cardiovascular Health

The American Heart Association recommends eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats and poultry.

The new USDA dietary guidelines for the first time highlighted the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet, including a reduction in obesity and heart disease.

It's never too early to take steps to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, which affects men and women. In fact, it kills twice as many women as all forms of cancer combined.

"We all should be worried about heart disease regardless of our age," said Susan Levin, nutrition education director for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "Most people, by the time they are 18, have plaque in their arteries."

A vegan diet is more mainstream than ever, making it easier for novices to stick with it.

"It's not a hippie folk dancer thing to do," she said. "It's just people who want take control of their health."

Going vegan is just one way to love your heart.

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