A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people with diets high in plant-based foods reduce their risk of stroke compared to those with lower-quality diets. The researchers defined plant-based diets as rich in foods including “leafy greens, whole grains, and beans, and including lower levels of foods like refined grains, potatoes, and added sugars.”

A plant-based diet can lower overall stroke risk by 10%. “Our findings have important public health implications, suggesting that future nutrition policies to lower stroke risk should take the quality of food into consideration,” said first author Megu Baden, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study was published in the medical journal Neurology. Researchers looked at data from over 200,000 people in a study that were followed for over 25 years.

“Many individuals have been increasing the amount of plant-based components in their diet,” said Kathryn Rexrode, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and co-author of the paper. “These results show that higher intake of healthy plant-based foods may help reduce long-term stroke risk and that it is still important to pay attention to diet quality of plant-based diets.”

Read more about health in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

• Study Finds Plant-Based Diet Could Reduce Heart Disease and Stroke Risk
• Chemicals Found in Red Meat Can Cause Heart Disease
• Plant-Based Diet and Digestion
• 7 Benefits You Are Likely to Experience Within One Week of Eating a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
• Plant-Based Diet and Gut Health
• How a Plant-Based Diet Can Reduce High Blood Pressure and Cognitive Decline
• Plant-Based Diet and Allergies
• Plant-Based Diet and Heart-Health
• Plant-Based Diet Cuts Heart Disease Risk by a Third Per New Study
• Study Finds Plant-Based Protein is Good for Heart Health
• 10 Tips for the Heart-Healthiest Plant-based Diet

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects. 

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 plant-based 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.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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