{
  "abstract": "Background Vegetarianism is widely recognised for its health and environmental benefits. However, its broader impacts on physical, mental and social well-being remain underexplored. This study investigates the health and behavioural outcomes associated with vegetarianism across diverse populations.Methods We analysed polygenic scores for vegetarianism (VegPGS) in 495 971 UK Biobank participants and performed phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) on 443 health and behavioural traits. Cross-validation analyses were conducted using data from 9009 vegetarians to 486 962 non-vegetarians. One-sample and two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses explored causal relationships. Findings were further validated in 11 642 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Additionally, machine-learning classification models were developed to predict vegetarian status using behavioural, physiological and genetic factors.Findings PheWAS identified 65 health-related and 2 behaviour-related factors significantly associated with VegPGS, with cross-validation confirming these links. MR analyses supported causal effects of vegetarianism on lower basal metabolic rate, reduced body mass index (BMI), decreased fat mass and lower risk of type 2 diabetes. CHNS data confirmed associations with lower BMI and diabetes risk in East Asian populations. Machine-learning models achieved high accuracy in predicting vegetarian status (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.913±0.018, area under the precision-recall curve (PR-AUC)=0.40).Interpretation This study provides robust evidence supporting the metabolic health benefits of vegetarianism. The integration of multimodal genetic, behavioural and physiological data enhances understanding and prediction of dietary choices, offering valuable insights for policymakers and individuals considering a transition to plant-based diets to achieve sustainability.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
        "Beijing Food Safety Policy and Strategy Research Base, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Chen Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Peking University Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, National Center for Orthopaedics, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Xiaosong Yang"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Cardiometabolic Medicine Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Yanjun Song"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Wenyan Xu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Jiakai Gong"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
        "Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Xiaolu Wang"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Wei Si"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
        "College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China"
      ],
      "name": "Shenggen Fan"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Triangulated evidence from the UK and China reveals the health impact of vegetarianism",
  "uid": "b6229f93-7d79-5de6-bf94-6de65902ba40"
}