People
with diets higher in protein, especially from fish, may be less likely to have
a stroke than those with diets lower in protein, according to a meta-analysis
published in the June 11, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the
American Academy of Neurology.
"The
amount of protein that led to the reduced risk was moderate—equal to 20 grams
per day," said study author Xinfeng Liu, MD, PhD, of Nanjing University
School of Medicine in Nanjing, China. "Additional, larger studies are
needed before definitive recommendations can be made, but the evidence is
compelling."
The
meta-analysis looked at all of the available research on the relationship
between protein in the diet and the risk of stroke. Seven studies with a total
of 254,489 participants who were followed for an average of 14 years were
included in the analysis.
Overall,
the participants with the highest amount of protein in their diets were 20
percent less likely to develop a stroke than those with the lowest amount of
protein in their diets. The results accounted for other factors that could
affect the risk of stroke, such as smoking and high cholesterol. For every
additional 20 grams per day of protein that people ate, their risk of stroke
decreased by 26 percent.
"If
everyone's protein intake were at this level, that would translate to more than
1.4 million fewer deaths from stroke each year worldwide, plus a decreased
level of disability from stroke," said Liu.
Liu
noted that the analysis does not support increased consumption of red meat,
which has been associated with increased stroke risk. Two of the studies were
conducted in Japan, where people eat less red meat than westerners do and more
fish, which has been associated with decreased risk of stroke.
"These
results indicate that stroke risk may be reduced by replacing red meat with
other protein sources, such as fish," Liu said.
The
reduced risk of stroke was stronger for animal protein than vegetable protein.
No comments:
Post a Comment