Vegetarian diet and stroke:
A meta-analysis consisting of 7 studies with a total of 124,706 participants from the UK, Germany, USA, Netherlands and Japan was conducted to investigate cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer incidence among vegetarians and non-vegetarians. All-cause mortality, mortality from circulatory diseases, and mortality from cerebrovascular diseases in vegetarians were lower when compared to non-vegetarians by 9%, 16%, and 12%, respectively. This study suggested that vegetarians have a mortality advantage compared to non-vegetarians. (26)
Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease:
A meta-analysis examined evidence on whole grain intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Seven prospective cohort studies with measures of dietary whole grains and cardiovascular outcomes were identified. Researchers found that greater whole grain intake (average 2.5 servings per day vs. 0.2 servings per day) was associated with a 21% lower risk of CVD events. The findings were similar for both men and women and CVD events including heart disease, stroke, and fatal CVD events. (27)