A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms that a vegetarian diet is among the best ways to prevent a heart attack.
This study, produced by the scientists at the University of Oxford and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analysed data from 15,100 vegetarians and 29,400 non-vegetarians.
Over the 11-year study, 169 people died from heart disease and 1,066 were hospitalized – and these were 32 percent more likely to be non-vegetarians.
According to Dr Francesca Crowe, “The main message is that diet is an important determinant of heart health… Vegetarians probably have a lower intake of saturated fat so it makes senses there is a lower risk of heart disease.”
The study also showed that the vegetarians had lower blood pressure, lower levels of “bad” cholesterol and had a healthier weight.
My comment:
Choosing a vegetarian diet is not enough in and of itself to ensure overall health, nor to eliminate the risk of heart disease. Some vegetarians in this study also suffered heart attacks, and some died. A diet that excludes meat but includes refined sugars and grains is still unhealthy, and leads to multiple types of diseases. Some vegetarians also smoke and avoid excercise. Stress also affects vegetarians and non-vegetarians. In general, vegetarians tend to be calmer than non-vegetarians (perhaps due to the hormones often found in animal products) but even an outwardly calm person may accumulate stress and anxiety inside, with detrimental health consequences.
Judging by Dr. Crowe’s comment, it appears that she may be under the impression that all saturated fats are unhealthy. This is not the case. While it is true that saturated fats from animal sources are usually quite harmful, there are some saturated fats from vegetable sources that are extremely beneficial to your health, such as those found in coconul oil.
