Diet with the right protein can reduce a person's risk of stroke, especially a diet with lean animal protein. Every 20 grams of protein eaten per day, can reduce the risk of stroke by about 26%, according to researchers.
The researchers concluded that animal protein can provide more than double the protective advantage compared to plant protein. But health consultants also warn against taking the research findings too real, because many animal protein sources also contain too much saturated fat. On the other hand, medical doctors are not so sure that protein can reduce the risk of stroke.
These nutrients appear to help defend against hardening of the arteries, hypertension and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for stroke. The researchers found that animal protein lowered the risk of stroke by 29%, while plant protein lowered the risk by about 12%. However, the study only found an association between protein consumption and stroke risk.
Animal protein is thought to contain all the amino acids a human would want, whereas most plant protein sources are incomplete. Vegetarians usually want to include all kinds of plant-based protein sources in their weight loss program to get all the amino acids they want.
One might argue that having animal protein simply means getting a higher quality weight loss program because of all the amino acids it contains. In the end, what has been shown to increase a person's stroke risk is saturated fat, salt and sugar and the harmful habit of smoking or drinking.