Long-term study shows 100x lower chance of heart attack or stroke for those on whole foods, vegan diet
After 12 years on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.’s clinical trial study, 177 people on a whole food vegan diet saw a 0.6% incidence of heart attack or stroke, which is 100x lower than the 21 people who did not follow the diet, who had a 62% chance of heart attack and stroke. [Journal of Family Practice]
Atherosclerosis: a disease of the arteries characterized by the deposition of plaques of fatty material on their inner walls.
High number of people are susceptible to atherosclerosis, whether you show symptoms or not. The chart below gives a breakdown in the Western world of people by age group who have atherosclerosis (dark bar) or have signs of it (light bar). If left untreated, atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack or stroke. [Circulation]
In fact, fatty streaks were found in the aorta (biggest artery near the heart) of nearly all 3 year olds.
1/3 of people in USA in their 20s have heart disease
“According to a meta-analysis of six dietary studies on 130,000 people they found that even 1mg of heme iron a day can increase risk of coronary heart disease by 27%. A single serving of tuna, chicken, or red meat has more than 1mg of heme iron.”
– Helen Moon, Hematologist, Kaiser Permanente Riverside. [The Game Changers]
In a more recent study, it was found that arteries of vegan individuals were clearer than marathon runners. An ultrasound of the arteries can show the thickness of artery walls and see how clogged the arteries are, which is a major predictor of disease and death. In a study from an issue of Rejuvenation Research, the control group of normal omnivores was rated at 0.74 arterial plaque buildup, a group of marathon runners that ran 48 miles a week for over 20 years were rated at 0.63, and some sedentary vegans had the least arterial plaque at 0.56.
