KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 – A new research published in the British Medical Journal has revealed that vegans and vegetarians have higher risks of stroke but lower risks of heart disease.
The study showed that vegans and vegetarians have a 22 per cent lower risk of heart disease than meat eaters, while pescatarians (those who eat fish but no meat) have a 13 per cent reduced risk.
Despite this, lack of vitamins is partly said to be the cause for vegetarians and vegans to be a fifth more likely to suffer a stroke than meat eaters.
The study also revealed that vegetarians and vegans have 20 per cent higher chances of stroke than in meat eaters, translating to three more cases of stroke per 1,000 people over 10 years.
Researchers pinpoint this to a higher rate of haemorrhagic stroke, the type caused by bleeding in or around the brain; whereas increased risk of stroke could be due to lower levels of vitamins among the vegetarians and vegans in the study.
“Vegetarian and vegan diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, partly due to perceived health benefits, as well as concerns about the environment and animal welfare,” according to the research team.
