A new study has found that vegetarians appear to have a lower stroke risk thanks to a diet stocked with soy, nuts and vegetables. These findings were after the researchers adjusted for other factors, such as age, sex, smoking and other health issues.
The study
Recruiting more than 13,000 volunteers from Buddhist communities in Taiwan, the researchers followed part of the group for around 6 years and the other part of the group for around 9 years. Both groups’ members were:
- given a medical exam
- tracked through the National Health Insurance Research Database (to follow their health)
- questioned about things like smoking and alcohol habits, exercise and diet
A few facts about the 13,000+ volunteers:
- no one was under 20
- the average age was 50
- no one had a history of stroke
- around 30% were vegetarian (no fish or meat)
- everyone ate close to the same amount of fruits and eggs
The results
Among the first group of participants they studied, the researchers found that vegetarians had a 74% lower risk of ischemic stroke compared to the nonvegetarians.
In the second group, vegetarians (compared to nonvegetarians) had a:
- 60% lower risk of ischemic stroke
- 65% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke
- 48% lower risk of overall stroke
“Overall, our study found that a vegetarian diet was beneficial and reduce the risk of ischemic stroke even after adjusting for known risk factors like blood pressure, blood glucose levels and fats in the blood,” explains study author Dr. Chin-Lon Lin of Tzu Chi University. “This could mean that perhaps there is some other protective mechanism that may [protect] those who eat a vegetarian diet from stroke.”
Hemorrhagic vs. ischemic strokes
In a hemorrhagic stroke, blood from an artery bleeds into the brain.
In an ischemic stroke, a blood vessel is blocked.
Stroke is the second leading cause of death around the world.
