Vegetarians and vegans have a 20% higher risk of stroke than meat-eaters, study finds

Thinking about going plant-based? Read this first.

Staff writers 5, 201911:20pm

Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul

Thinking about going plant-based? Read this first.

When it comes to following a plant-based diet, the benefits are well-established. Not only can giving up meat minimise your waistline, it can also lower your risk of certain diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

But if you think the writing's on the wall: it's not so clear-cut, it seems.

A major new study, which tracked nearly 50,000 people for 18 years, has found that while vegetarians and vegans have a 22 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease than their carnivore mates, they also have a 20 per cent higher risk of stroke.

To put that into perspective, this means that over a 10-year period, there would be 10 fewer cases of coronary heart disease in vegans and vegetarians than in meat eaters per 1000 people, but three more cases of stroke. There was no clear effect for pesceterians.

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Image: Getty.

Image: Getty.Source:BodyAndSoul

While the study is not enough on its own to conclude that meat-eating or vegetarianism is behind the differences in risk, researchers said the findings supported previous research. They believed the increased risk could be down to lower levels of cholesterol, which could increase certain types of stroke, or lower levels of certain nutrients such as B12.


Dr Tammy Tong, the first author of the study from Oxford University, warned that while meat-free diets have taken off, further scrutiny about their long-term effects was needed. ““Vegetarian and vegan diets have increased hugely in popularity over the past years … but we actually know very little about the potential health benefits or hazards of these diets,” she told The Guardian.

The team acknowledged that the study had some limitations, including the fact that it was based on self-reporting, and more research was needed.

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