A new study found that following a vegan diet for 35 days, or five weeks, may decrease some risk factors for heart disease in African Americans. Fifty African Americans ate prepared vegan meals for five weeks and their risk factors for stroke and heart attack fell by approximately 19%.

The vegan diet helped with heart disease and stroke risk factors including blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

The study’s senior investigator Dr. Kim Allan Williams Sr., chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush Medical College in Chicago, said of the findings, Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans, and African Americans have the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. We did this study to see what we can do about it.”

African Americans’ death rates in 2015 for heart disease were 21% higher than in white populations. The diet reduced that differential almost as much, making the excess risk almost gone. American Heart Association statistics show 60% of African American men and 57% of African American women over the age of 20 have a form of cardiovascular disease.

Doctors in the study agreed that the next steps would be following more study participants for longer lengths of time.

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental health, allergies, gut health and more! Kim Kardashian says it helps ease her psoriasis, Kelly Ripa gives credit to a plant-based diet for her youthfulness and numerous famous athletes around the world have experienced tremendous performance gains after cutting meat and dairy out of their lives.

Dairy consumption also has been linked many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects. Learn about some Common Health Concerns That May Disappear Once You Ditch Dairy and 10 Calcium Supplements For Healthy Living on a Dairy-Free and 10 Carrageenan-Free Non-Dairy Products!

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, plant-based, vegan and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

• Your Ultimate Guide to Weekly Vegan Meal Plans Based on Your Nutritional and Seasonal Needs
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Vitamin K
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Vitamin E
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Vitamin D
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Calcium
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Zinc
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Vitamin C
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Magnesium
• Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: B Vitamins
• Plant-Based Diet and Digestion
• Plant-Based Diet and Gut Health
• Plant-Based Diet and Allergies
• Plant-Based Diet and Heart-Health

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