A vegetarian diet rich in nuts, vegetables, and soy has been linked to a lower risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, new research suggests.
In two large cohorts of more than 13,000 individuals, investigators found a vegetarian diet was associated with a 60% to 74% decreased risk of ischemic stroke and 65% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
"The take-home message is that lifestyle, especially healthful diets such as vegetarian diets, are important in the prevention and management of stroke," senior author Chin-Lon Lin, MD, chief executive officer, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan told Medscape Medical News.
The study was published online February 26 in Neurology.
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