A major study suggests that people who eat vegan and vegetarian diets have a lower risk of heart disease and a higher risk of stroke. Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and death, according to a large review of research. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dietary modifications in the form of a vegetarian diet can perhaps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease but an increased risk of a particularly dangerous kind of stroke.
Researchers in Denmark showed that vegetarian and vegan diets cut levels of cholesterol and fats in the blood that increase heart attacks. This can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Vegetarians have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than meat-eaters but a greater risk of having a stroke. A vegetarian diet was found to decrease the risk of incidence and mortality from ischemic heart disease by 25. However, there was no significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
Vegeters have a significantly lower ischemic heart disease mortality and overall cancer incidence than non-vegetarians. The truth behind claims that plant-based diets, such as vegan and low-fat vegetarian, can “reverse” heart disease is that vegetarians, like any other individuals, can still be susceptible to heart attacks, although studies have shown that vegetarian diets are more effective in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
📹 Study: Vegetarians Have Higher Stroke Risk, Lower Heart Disease Risk
A new study shows that they are at a lower risk for heart disease than meat-eaters, but they are at a higher risk of stroke.
Why do vegans live longer?
A growing body of evidence suggests that vegan diets may confer a reduction in the risk of developing chronic health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and obesity. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that approximately two percent of the population adheres to a vegan diet. Vegan diets are gaining in popularity, with an estimated two percent of the population abstaining from meat and dairy products.
Is being a vegetarian healthier than eating meat?
Vegetarian diets are known for their low calorie content, lower saturated fat and cholesterol levels, and higher levels of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They are also associated with lower cancer rates, lower risk of heart disease, and lower LDL cholesterol levels. However, it is unclear whether these health benefits are due to plant-based eating or the healthy lifestyle of most vegetarians. Vegetarians are generally more physically active and have healthier habits than non-vegetarians, and they typically have a higher socioeconomic status.
To understand the effects of diet, large, controlled studies are needed, such as one at Loma Linda University in California, where Cardiologist Dr. Gary Fraser is leading an NIH-funded team to analyze data on 96, 000 Seventh-day Adventists.
Do vegetarians age slower?
A study published in BMC Medicine found that those who followed a plant-based diet had a lower biological age, weight loss, and lower levels of “bad” cholesterol. The research followed 21 pairs of identical twins for 8 weeks, providing one with vegan meals made mostly of vegetables, legumes, and fruit, and the other with meals that included meat and dairy products. The results showed that those who followed the plant-based plan had a lower biological age, weight loss, and lower levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.
This study is part of Stanford University’s larger Twin Nutrition Study, which was documented in a Netflix series called “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment”. The findings suggest that a plant-based diet may be a potential solution to slowing the body’s aging process on a molecular level.
Why did Miley Cyrus quit vegan?
Anne Hathaway, who was a vegan for years, transitioned to a vegan lifestyle while filming Interstellar. She explained that she and her husband, Matt Damon, had a dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant and Matt agreed to eat whatever the chef wanted. Anne was the only vegan, and everyone was following the flow. When asked about the fish, they suggested a local fjord, which Anne found. She had a piece of salmon, which felt like a computer rebooting her brain. Now, she is much sharper and has a more balanced diet.
Can a vegan diet clear blocked arteries?
A study in the 1980s found that a strict low-fat plant-based diet could slow the progression of coronary heart disease. However, the reversal of the disease is a topic of interest. The study involved 198 patients and found that of the 177 who followed the diet, the majority reported a reduction in symptoms, and 22% had disease reversal confirmed by test results. The findings suggest that while changing diet and lifestyle, as well as taking prescribed medications, can help slow the progression of coronary heart disease, further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Why quit vegan?
Ex-vegans often experience hunger, nutrient deficiencies, social isolation, travel challenges, and weight management issues. However, a plant-based diet can lead to a long, healthy life. In India, despite having the lowest per capita meat consumption globally, a robust understanding of nutrition on a plant-based diet is not as widespread. This blog post aims to reassure and inform vegans that they don’t have to end up in the same situation.
Do vegetarians have higher heart rate?
A study comparing the role of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets on vascular reactivity in response to mental stress found that non-veg values were higher than vegetarian values under basal and post-stress conditions. Vegetarian under-graduate medical students were compared with non-vegetarian students at rest and after examination stress. The measured parameters included systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure (PP).
The study also studied the relationships between blood pressure (BP), pulse pressure (PP), and cardiovascular (CV) death in older adults using data from 2346 participants enrolled in the Costa Rican CRELES study. The results showed that both diets had varying effects on vascular reactivity and cardiovascular mortality in older adults.
Is veganism actually healthy?
Vegan diets can fulfill all the nutritional requirements needed for good health, including vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. However, vegans must ensure they consume adequate portions of these foods and avoid restricting their diets to foods grown on low selenium levels. Vegan diets can be adequate for all human beings, including children, as long as they are high in energy density, easy to digest, and not excessive in fiber.
Well-planned vegan diets may be healthier than other diets, but no studies exist where omnivores share similar genetic profiles, lifestyle patterns, and social and environmental factors with a significant number of vegans. A meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort studies found that all-cause mortality was 9 lower among vegetarians.
Evidence suggests that people who consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables, which are more prominent in vegan diets, live longer than those who do not do so. A Finnish study of 2, 641 men aged between 42 and 60 found that those within the highest fifth for intake of fruits (including berries) and vegetables had a relative risk for all-cause death that was 34 lower than that of those in the lowest fifth.
Several other studies found a positive association between diets that are relatively high in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet of people living in Pioppi (Italy) up to about four decades ago, and a reduction in mortality.
As diets that include a large proportion of fruits and vegetables have been shown to be healthier than diets that include relatively few of these foods, it has been estimated that a large number of premature deaths could be prevented amongst populations that consume large quantities of animal products by increasing the consumption of plant foods.
Is the oldest person alive vegetarian?
The world’s oldest living people, including Kane Tanaka, have a diverse diet and habits. Tanaka, a 119-year-old woman from Fukuoka, Japan, eats rice, fish, and soup, but also enjoys hakata ramen, motsu nabe, mentaiko, and mizutaki. She also indulges in cravings like coffee, carbonated drinks, and chocolate. Tanaka’s Guinness World Records presentation in 2019 saw her consume 100 chocolates. With more centenarians than any other country, the health benefits of the average Japanese citizen’s plant-based, low-glycemic diet may be due to the country’s high number of centenarians. A study in Okinawa found that many centenarians practice hara hachi bu, eating until they’re just 80 full.
What is the life expectancy of a vegetarian?
Researchers at Loma Linda University have found that vegetarian men live an average of 10 years longer than non-vegetarian men, with 83 years compared to 73 years. For women, being vegetarian adds an extra 6 years, bringing their life expectancy to 85 years. This research is part of the Adventist Health Study-1, a comprehensive, long-term study that tracked diets, lifestyle, and diseases among 34, 000 Seventh-day Adventists for 14 years. Adventists are ideal participants for large population studies, as they don’t smoke or drink, making it easier to understand how their lifestyle choices impact their health and longevity.
Do vegans live longer than meat-eaters?
A review of vegans and vegetarians in the UK, Germany, the US, and Japan found that they have a lower risk of death from all causes compared to omnivores. A study of Seventh Day Adventists in North America found that vegetarians and vegans may have a 12 lower risk of death compared to those who eat meat, as they are typically plant-based, rich in whole foods, and free from alcohol and caffeine.
📹 A Vegan Diet Doesn’t Reverse Heart Disease After All?
After years of being told that Dr. Esselstyn’s heart disease trial wasn’t good enough, some in the plant-based community haveĀ …
Interesting analysis! I appreciate you taking the time to give this study the attention it deserves. Since your control group technically had 25,000 people, you could have used that in your 2-sample t-test (instead of using equal sample sizes) to drive the standard error of the difference (and thus p-values) way down. Also the test potentially could have been more powerful if one were to use a method designed specifically for proportions/counts, (e.g. testing odds ratios or relative risk directly) instead of using a procedure designed for quantitative data, although the results would probably be more or less similar. Either way, there is certainly solid evidence of an effect for the plant based group.
Love this article! I really enjoy the nerdier stuff. I can imagine that not everyone does, as it is harder to digest than your other article’s. However, I do think you did a great job of making it easier to understand. Statistics are not my strong suit (and following the course while I was still stuggeling with a burn-out did not help with information retention), yet I could still follow you quite well. It might make it a bit easier if you spend a little bit more time on the explanation of the statistical analysis method you are using (it felt a little rushed). Great article, keep on doing the good work. You are amazing
‘Nerding out’ – :). Yes I did nerd out, good article of course though I let my brain rest and wander when the statistical analysis of dividing by two was on. Good to show again, this way, the value of Dr. Esselstyn’s work. The physics of dilation was good to see. Thanks for the new artery images, striking indeed.
When evaluating differences in mortality between the two groups, why aren’t you running a chi-square instead of a t-test? If I’m not mistaken, mortality is a dichotomous variable, so using it as the DV in a t-test isn’t appropriate. Also, since the number of cardiovascular events is a count variable, it may be more appropriate to evaluate a potential difference between those two samples using a poisson or negative binomial regression (unless you did some kind of data transformation beforehand). Big fan of your articles, and plant-based eating has had a huge positive impact on my life!
Thanks I appreciate the tools used and the sharing of data. Not only does that back up the points but also the processes needed to understand. It also helps double check and if the data were ever to go contrary you could know why too. I think that’s a win win. Backs up your points but verify as well. Also neat graphics today. š
I have no skin in this game. I can only speak for myself. I had High Blood Pressure and was struggling for a long time with it.I was also put on meds. I randomly found his book on Amazon. Decided to try his diet, and i was very strict about it. Amazingly my blood pressure was normal consistently after about 12 days. I added daily exercise also. If you don’t believe it thats fine, all i know is it worked for me. I was truly shocked how quickly it was turned around. I was kind of mad that my doc, never mentioned strict dietary changes.
Me too: didn’t get a notification for this article but fortunately it came up in ‘Recommended for you’ today. I did open one article claiming to debunk Dr. Esselstyn’s work but then I found it was over 1 hour long so I didn’t watch it. This article was a bit nerdy as you put it but good to debunk that long debunking article. Thanks.