British Study Finds Vegetarians May Have Higher Risk of Stroke
By Vincent C. Torrieri
English Training News
The all-green food Utopia may not always be the best. According to a new British Study, vegans and vegetarians may have a higher risk of stroke than meat-eaters.
The study, by Oxford University researchers, https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4897 published in the British Medical Journal, conducted a research involving nearly 50,000 people with an average age of 45 years for nearly two decades and found that those who followed a strict vegan or vegetarian diet had a 20% higher risk of stroke than those who included meat in their diet.
Of the 48,188 participants, half of them were meat-eaters, just over 16,000 were vegans and vegetarians and 7,500 were pescatarians (sea-food diet).
The study claims that while the pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans had a lower risk of CHD (coronary heart disease), those on plant-based diets had a 20% higher risk of getting a stroke.
The researchers said the elevated stroke risk could be linked to low vitamin B12 levels, but admitted that more studies were needed to investigate the connection.
A VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces whole-grain macaroni elbows
- 1 head of broccoli, florets cut into small bites (about 1 ½ to 2 cups), optional*
- 1 ½ tablespoon of avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup peeled and grated russet potato (4 ounces, about 1 small or ½ medium potato), preferably organic
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
- Small pinch of Frontier Co-op red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup raw cashews**
- 1 cup water, more as necessary
- ¼ cup Frontier Co-op nutritional yeast
- 2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions. If using broccoli, stir it into the pot when just 2 to 3 more minutes remain. Drain, and transfer the contents to a large serving bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-to-large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to enhance their flavors.
- Add the cashews and water, and stir to combine. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring frequently and reducing heat as necessary to avoid a rapid boil, until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Carefully pour the mixture into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. If the mixture won’t blend easily or if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add water in ¼ cup increments, blending after each one.
- Taste, and blend in additional salt until the sauce is utterly irresistible (I typically add at least another ½ teaspoon). If it needs a little more zip, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar. Blend again.
- Pour the sauce into the bowl of pasta. Stir until well combined, and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well, chilled and covered, for 3 to 4 days. Gentle reheat, adding a tiny splash of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce.
