Plant-based diet reduces stroke risk
Consuming a plant-based diet reduces the risk of stroke – determined by a study you can read by clicking here. According to it, people following a vegetarian diet rich in nuts, vegetables and soy have a significantly lower stroke risk than those who follow diets that include meat and fish.
“Stroke is the second most common cause of death in the world and a major cause of physical disability,” said the study author Chin-Lon Lin, MD, from Tzu Chi University in Hualien, Taiwan. “If the occurrence of stroke could be influenced by diet, it would have a major impact on public health.”
The study followed two groups of people. The researchers classified as vegetarian those who did not eat any meat, not even fish. About 30% of participants in both groups were vegetarian. Seventy-five percent of the vegetarians were women and 25% were men. At the start of the study the average age of participants was 50 years, and none had previously suffered a stroke.
The first group included 5,050 people and their lives were followed for an average of six years. The second group of 8,302 people was followed for an average of nine years. At the start of the study participants underwent a medical examination and their diets were documented.
Vegetarians consumed more nuts, vegetables and soy and less dairy than non-vegetarians. Both groups consumed similar amounts of eggs and fruit. Vegetarians ate a lot of fiber and plant protein (instead of animal proteins and fats).
Study results
At the end of the observation period the researchers tallied the stroke cases that occurred among participants.
In the 5,050-person group there were 1,424 vegetarians. There were a total of 54 ischemic (blood-supply-related) strokes, of which only three occurred among vegetarians. In this group vegetarians had a 74% lower risk of ischemic stroke compared with non-vegetarians.
In the second group of 8,302 people there were 2,719 vegetarians and 5,583 non-vegetarians. A total of 121 strokes occurred, affecting 24 vegetarians and 97 non-vegetarians. Vegetarians in the second group had a 48% lower overall stroke risk, a 60% lower ischemic stroke risk and a 65% lower hemorrhagic stroke risk.
“Overall, our study found that a vegetarian diet was beneficial and reduced the risk of stroke even in the presence of known risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids,” Lin said. “This could mean that there is some protective mechanism that shields those who follow a vegetarian diet from stroke.”
