Strict adherence to a vegetarian diet may help fend off cardiovascular and ischemic heart diseases.
This meta-analysis looked at the odds of vegetarians and non-vegetarians acquiring stroke, cardiovascular, and ischemic heart diseases. Researchers sifted through data obtained from 13 studies involving more than 850,000 men and women.
Researchers observed vegetarian compared to non-vegetarian diets decreased the risk of developing cardiovascular and ischemic heart diseases by 15% and 21% respectively. This study concluded that opting for a vegetarian diet may offer individuals an extra layer of protection against cardiovascular and ischemic heart diseases.