During the study, a team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Cleveland Clinic followed the diet of thousands of men and women over a 20-year period and examined the association between consumption of different protein sources and the incidence of stroke.
They found that higher intake of red meat was generally associated with a higher risk of stroke, while higher intake of poultry was associated with a lower risk. Those who exchanged red meat for fish and nuts had a 17% lower risk of stroke and those who ate dairy instead of red meat had a 10-11% lower risk. Interestingly, there were no significant associations with exchanging legumes or eggs for red meat.
The report concluded that: “Stroke risk may be reduced by replacing red meat with other dietary sources of protein.”