Heredity has plenty to do with a person’s risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and their risk of heart attack or stroke. Lifestyle, of course, also plays a role, especially what you eat, according to researchers. A new study has found that people who follow a vegetarian diet have a lower risk of stroke. If you’re not a vegetarian, what does this mean for you?
The Benefits of Being a Vegetarian
The researchers who concluded that people who eat meat or fish were at a higher risk of stroke than those who followed a vegetarian diet studied two groups of people from Buddhist communities in Taiwan. One group, consisting of 5,050 people, were followed for about six years. The second group included 8,302 people and was followed for nine years.
Here are the stats from the study published in Neurology:
- Between both groups, about a third of the people were vegetarians.
- There were 175 strokes overall.
- In the first group, vegetarians had a 49% reduced stroke risk compared to meat and fish eaters.
- In the second group, vegetarians had a 48% reduced risk.
Their conclusion: Eating a vegetarian diet could reduce the risk of stroke. Now, the rest of the details.
Your Risk of Stroke
Though they stand behind their research, the authors of the study stress that the most important risk factor for stroke is hypertension. The cause of this condition can vary. High blood pressure could simply be in your DNA or it could be a result of a lack of exercise, stress, or, of course, diet.
In this study, vegetarians had significantly lower rates of high blood pressure than the people who ate meat or fish. The vegetarians also had lower cholesterol levels.
Nevertheless, when the researchers controlled for hypertension, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, smoking, diabetes, alcohol consumption, and other factors, the major reduction in stroke risk for people who avoided meat and fish remained.
Maintaining Your Unique Health
While all this information may have you considering a new diet, know that scientists acknowledge there could be other variables they were unable to track that affect the stroke risk. They also only assessed diet at the start of the study and admit it could have changed over time. It’s also important to remember that the results of the study were limited to certain communities in Taiwan and may not apply to other populations.
Where does this information leave you? You are a unique person with a unique health history. You should be under the care of a doctor who is prepared to assess your wellness based on your individual statistics and tests, as well as heredity.
If you believe you suffered a stroke or heart attack as a result of poor medical care or a missed diagnosis, you could have a case of medical malpractice. Contact the Michigan personal injury attorneys at Thurswell Law to get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a consultation by calling (248) 354-2222 today. We do not charge any fees until we win.
