sensitivity, and improve blood glucose control^110 —all factors in heart disease. Randomized clinical
trials and metabolic studies have also shown that oats, oat bran, and rye bread successfully reduce
total blood cholesterol, while refined wheat bread has no positive effect on cholesterol.^111
So what's the main message that we can take away from all of this research? Low-carb and/or
refined diets that are high in animal proteins increase your risk of developing and dying from
cardiovascular disease; plant-based, nutrient-rich diets decrease this risk.^112
Stock up on the protective fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals found in plant foods. Your
heart will thank you.
Stroke
Ischemic strokes, which account for almost 90% of strokes, have very similar origins to heart
attacks. Ischemic strokes occur when the arteries to your brain become extremely narrow or
completely blocked by waxy plaques. This severely reduces blood flow to the brain, depriving brain
cells of oxygen and vital nutrients, and causing many of these cells to die within minutes.
A recent study determined that consuming red and processed meats like an average American is
associated with large increases in the risk of ischemic stroke.^113 The Swedish researchers found that
women who ate a minimum of 3.6 ounces of red meat a day were 42% more likely to suffer from an
ischemic stroke than those who ate less than one ounce per day. Based on these results, the average
American diet, which usually includes three ounces of red meat per day, would be associated with a
22% increase in stroke risk.
Non-vegetarians in the Adventist Health Study also had a risk of fatal stroke that was 20-30%
higher than vegetarians.
Just as with heart disease, nutritional research shows a protective relationship between fruit and
vegetable consumption and your risk of ischemic stroke. Cruciferous and green leafy vegetables,
(^110) McKeown NM, Meigs JB, Liu S, Wilson PWF, Jacques PF. Whole grain intake is favorably associated with metabolic risk
factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the Framingham Offspring Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002:76:390-
398.
(^111) Johnston L, Reynolds HR, Patz M, Hunninghake DB, Schultz K, Westereng B. Cholesterol-lowering benefits of a whole
grain oat ready-to-eat cereal. Nutr Clin Care. 1998;1:6-12.
Ripsin CM, Keenan JM, Jacobs DR Jr, et al. Oat products and lipid lowering. A meta-analysis. J Am Med Assoc.
1992;267:3317-3325.
Leinonen KS, Poutanen KS, Mykkanen HM. Rye bread decreases serum total and LDL cholesterol in men with moderately
elevated serum cholesterol. J Nutr. 2000;130:164-170.
(^112) Fung TT, van Dam RM, Hankinson SE, Stampfer M, Willett WC, Hu FB. Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and
Cause-Specific Mortality: Two Cohort Studies. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(5):289-298.
(^113) Larsson SC, Virtamo J, Wolk A. Red meat consumption and risk of stroke in Swedish women. Stroke. 2011;42(2):324-
329.