Vegetarian Diet Can Cut Heart Disease Risk by 32 Percent

Food intake important for prevention

A vegetarian diet can reduce a person's risk of heart disease by a third, according to a new study. The University of Oxford found that vegetarians have a 32 percent lower risk of hospitalization or death from cardiovascular disease than people who consume meat and fish. They also have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Lead author Dr. Francesca Crowe said, "Most of the difference in risk is probably caused by effects on cholesterol and blood pressure, and shows the important role of diet in the prevention of heart disease." The experts analyzed nearly 45,000 participants from England and Scotland, of which 34 percent were vegetarian, for the study. (Medical News Today)

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