Plant-Forward Dietary Approaches Among Populations at High Risk of Metabolic Disease
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editor
Interests: aging; health disparities; woman's health; diet quality; dietary proteins; biomarkers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cardiometabolic risk (CMR)—encompassing obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired glucose regulation—remains a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality, with a disproportionate burden borne by populations at elevated risk of metabolic disease, including racial and ethnic minority groups as well as individuals facing structural and socioeconomic disadvantages. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that plant-forward dietary patterns—emphasizing minimally processed plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, while limiting refined carbohydrates and animal-based products—are associated with more favorable cardiometabolic profiles across diverse and high-risk populations.
This Special Issue will highlight emerging evidence on plant-forward dietary approaches and their mechanistic, clinical, and population-level effects on metabolic health, with particular attention to health disparities, cultural context, and lived environments. Contributions may include observational studies, clinical trials, narrative or systematic reviews, and translational research examining plant-forward dietary patterns, phytochemical-rich foods, dietary quality indices, biomarkers, and cardiometabolic outcomes such as inflammation, adiposity, lipid profiles, glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure.
Emphasis will be placed on culturally grounded and feasible dietary strategies—including vegetarian and plant-based patterns, traditional and Indigenous foodways, and culturally adapted plant-forward interventions—that support metabolic health while addressing social, environmental, and structural barriers to dietary adoption. Collectively, this Special Issue aims to advance evidence-based, equitable nutrition strategies that reduce cardiometabolic disease risk across the life course, particularly among populations most vulnerable to metabolic dysfunction.
Dr. Jeannette M. Beasley
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- plant-forward diets
- cardiometabolic risk
- metabolic disease prevention
- health disparities
- racial and ethnic minority populations
- dietary patterns
- plant-based nutrition
- cultural foodways
- insulin resistance
- obesity and metabolic health
- cardiovascular risk factors
- nutritional equity
- phytochemicals
- social determinants of health
- translational nutrition research
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