A high-protein diet could help lower stroke risk

Lipitor users may want to start cracking some eggs and grilling some chicken. While a diet that is rich in protein is routinely recommended for those trying to bulk up and gain a little muscle, recent research has indicated that adding more of this nutritional compound might be what it takes to reduce your risk of stroke.

Doctors from Nanjing University School of Medicine in China have explored how implementing a can significantly lower the chances of a stroke occurrence. The researchers initiated an extensive analysis on the topic, hosting seven different studies featuring 254,489 participants, while following them for 14 years.

After carefully reviewing the data, the researchers concluded that subjects who had the highest amounts of protein in their diets were discovered to be 20 percent less likely to develop a stroke than those with the lowest quantities of protein. After the doctors also took other health risk factors into account, such as smoking and high cholesterol levels, they additionally found that for every extra 20 grams of protein in one's diet, the chance of stroke decreased by 26 percent.

More protein in the body seems to possess the capability to lower blood pressure, a key component when it comes to eliminating strokes. Doctors also alluded that animal protein may be a more efficient source of the compound to lower the odds of blood clots in the brain compared to vegetable protein, although the researchers stated that they are not trying to endorse increasing the consumption of red meat, insisting that fish is a more effective and healthy alternative.

Dr. Xinfeng Liu, a professor at Nanjing University and study author, stated that it didn't take much of an increase in protein intake to see stroke-reducing results, and if everyone followed this dieting model, the amount of strokes eradicated would be enormous. 

"The amount of protein that led to the reduced risk was moderate - equal to ," Liu said in a statement. "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. These results indicate that stroke risk may be reduced by replacing red meat with other protein sources, such as fish."

Effective sources of protein
On top of potentially reducing your risk of stroke, increasing your protein intake is also attributed to strengthening muscle and bones, helps oxygen get carried through the blood as well as provide essential amino acids to your body. Here are some foods that are extremely rich in protein:

• 100 grams of chicken = 24 grams of protein
• 100 grams of turkey breasts = 30 grams of protein
• 100 grams of salmon = 26 grams of protein
• 100 grams of soy beans = 17 grams of protein
• 100 grams of eggs = 13 grams of protein

While these foods can boost your protein ingestion, Lipitor can also help make sure that your body can defend itself from any symptoms of stroke.