A new analysis in Taiwan showed that a plant-based diet could help decrease the risk of having a stroke. More than 13,000 volunteers from Buddhist communities in Taiwan participated in the program. Volunteers’ health conditions and lifestyle were examined thoroughly. The participants, aged 50 years old, had no history of stroke. They were divided into two groups and researchers kept a track of record of their activities for 6 and 9 years, separately. 30% of them were assessed as vegetarians who ate more fruits and vegetables while non-vegetarians ate more dairy products. After the study, the researchers deduced that among the vegetarians in the first group of volunteers, there was a 74% lower risk of ischemic stroke. The vegetarians in the second group ended up with a 60% lower risk of ischemic stroke, a 65% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke, and a 48% lower risk of all types of stroke.

According to Dr. Chin-Lon Lin of Tzu Chi University in Hualien, Taiwan, the lead author of the study, “Overall, our study found that a vegetarian diet was beneficial and reduced the risk of ischemic stroke even after adjusting for known risk factors like blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and fats in the blood.” Practicing a plant-based diet that has fruits and greens in it with nuts and whole grains could prevent people suffering from stroke. In the U.S, there are 795,000 people who experience cases of stroke each year. The study was published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.