Being vegetarian may be healthy in many ways, but it also carries its own risks. According to a new study, those who don’t eat meat may be at a higher risk of stroke. This is the first study to observe the risk of strokes for vegetarians and vegans, and it found that they are at a 20% higher risk than those who eat meat.
Interestingly, pescetarians were not at a higher risk of strokes like other non-meat eaters. The study states that this could be due to the fact that they have higher cholesterol levels than normal vegetarians and vegans. Another pro is that vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease than their meat-eating counterparts. They were found to be as much as 22% less at risk.
At the end of the day, there is still more research needed. Mark Lawrence and Sarah McNaughton, professors from Deakin University in Australia, reminded us that these results may not apply to everyone. "Participants were all from the United Kingdom where dietary patterns and other lifestyle behaviors are likely to differ from those prevalent in low and middle-income countries, where most of the world's vegetarians live,” the two scientists insisted.
There are many different kinds of diets and other ways to be healthy, make sure you know all the pros and cons of whatever strategy you choose.
[Via]