Eating a plant-based diet is good for your health — but some plant-based diets are better than others, a new study that spanned nearly three decades finds. Most previous research that has looked at the health benefits of plant-based eating has defined a plant-based diet simply as one that leaves out all or most animal-based foods, according to the study. But the new study found that eating less meat, but also eating more refined carbohydrates, and sticking with the sugar-sweetened beverages, can have the opposite effect.