Meatless meals save you from unhealthy fats and added sugar and salt
By Nicole Ganglani | Photo by FOODISM360/Unsplash
If you’ve been thinking about going meatless for a while now, here’s something that might convince you more.
A recent study published in the Journal of Neurology found that following a vegetarian diet may lower your risk of suffering from a stroke. However, it also noted that vegetarians may have lower levels of vitamin B12, which is why it’s important for vegetarians to consume dairy, eggs, fortified cereals, nutritional yeast and fortified meat alternatives.
The researchers examined more than 13,000 people and their diets for 12 to 15 years. What they found was that those who ate a lot of vegetables, soy and nuts were 60 to 74 percent safer from experiencing an ischemic stroke (when the artery supplying blood to the brain is blocked) and hemorrhagic stroke (when the artery in the brain experiences a fracture).
Aside from people who eat meat, those who are at higher risk of suffering from stroke are those who eat processed food and chips, cookies and unhealthy snacks.
The study also noted that vegetarians may have lower levels of vitamin B12, which is why it’s important for vegetarians to eat dairy, eggs, fortified cereals, nutritional yeast and fortified meat alternatives
The study also suggested that eating vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions and spinach may reduce blood pressure, which lowers the risk of suffering from a stroke.
Contrary to popular belief, meatless meals may even contain more nutrients compared with meals full of meat. The choice to remove meat in your diet can be beneficial in the long run, not to mention more ecologically sustainable since vegetarian diets are likely to produce 49.6 percent less greenhouse gas emissions compared to other meat alternatives.
Past research also found that sticking to a vegetarian diet lowers chances of suffering from cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, eating vegetarian meals saves you from unhealthful fats and added sugar and salt—all of which are detrimental to your health.
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