Update on Vegetarian Stroke Risk
Those eating more plant-based diets have lower risk of having a stroke, including both bleeding and clotting strokes.
Check out the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute’s jumpstart programs here ( ).
The vitamin B12 video I mentioned is Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Vitamin B12 and Homocysteine? ( ). It is part of my extended series on the topic, and here are the rest:
• What to Eat for Stroke Prevention ( )
• What Not to Eat for Stroke Prevention ( )
• Do Vegetarians Really Have Higher Stroke Risk? ( )
• Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Vitamin D? ( )
• Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Omega 3s? ( )
• Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Vegan Junk Food? ( )
• Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Saturated Fat? ( )
• Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors—Animal Protein? ( )
• How to Test for Functional Vitamin B12 Deficiency ( )
• Should Vegetarians Take Creatine to Normalize Homocysteine? ( )
• The Efficacy and Safety of Creatine for High Homocysteine ( )
New subscribers to our e-newsletter always receive a free gift. Get yours here: .
Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources:
• Subscribe:
• Donate:
• Podcast :
• Books:
• Shop:
• Facebook:
• Twitter:
• Instagram:
I remember all the antivegan channels at the time were going on and on about it, yet ignoring all the risk factors for nonvegans. 🙃
I really wish I didn’t watch them..
Thanks for this data-driven information.
Great to see the update here. It never quite added up to me as to why a healthier diet “might” result in a greater stroke risk… thankfully this appears to NOT be the case!
Great news! Can I just say that I really prefer the Nutrition Facts add-free, voice over presentation style than other plugcast nutrition channels. As a long term NF followers, I tend to agree more with your stance than other plant based or nutrition channels. When you put your channel to the test, then your sense of humour never goes unappreciated. 🥰😇😉
Ha! I see what you did there.
A scientist who corrects past claims is much more credible than one who sticks to past claims.
not only docters who do this but people in general!
That’s put forward like a tautology, but it really isn’t one. Quite often I’m confronted with people who read articles or news headlines who live like the accumulation of knowledge isn’t a thing, pretending like the information is novel. The reality is that you can’t just disregard those former studies. There are multiple ways that you can make credible that the new study really is on point, but just saying it is so since it takes courage to ditch your past believes, is really just personal bias.
Oh, and what you see in the comments, is confirmation bias
I’m not a scientist BUTT I’ve managed to not spend a night in the hospital since my diabetes diagnosis 25 years ago. Most people have good intentions I believe but there’s a tendency to become emotionally attached to one’s beliefs and not want to consider the possibility that what you believed at one time may have been wrong. And this isn’t meant to be pro or anti vegan. I’m not vegan and my weight and numbers are “superb” according to my endocrinologist who I see every 3 months. Wishful thinking and confirmation bias can affect everyone.
Gotta love science and the willingness, no insistence, on testing and retesting the hypothesis until the data emerges. Thank you for the clarification.
Thanks as always Dr. Greger! Your work is so important for at-risk people. Whenever I’ve had discussions with friends about their health I’ve always recommended your work.
Seems like going plant based is the smartest thing I have ever done and unlike anything anybody I know has done second to taking up cycling.
“Findings showing increased risk of hemorrhagic stoke among vegetarians were a fluke.” Just as I suspected. Thank you, Dr. Greger, for following this story and bringing us the updated numbers.
I resent the government of Canada pushing animal products, and lieing about how it was “healthy”. Industries making money, has made me chronically ill….
Well, that pretty much puts that to bed, doesn’t it? Sleep well my fellow plant based whole food dieters!
Thank you for this immensely valuable research and information!! But I mean, really, it made absolutely no sense, right?… It had to be a fluke, but I’m very grateful to have this evidence here!
What a wonderful update! These results seem to be because everybody supplement with B12 now
You didn’t understand.
Greg wants to say that b12 deficiency Is NOT a risk stroke factor! And in taiwanese studies only vegetarians that did NOT take supplements and had zero or little animal products and had so a b12 deficiency had much less stroke than omnivorous (and much less other diseases and aslo less neurologic diseases)
It’s no less 50% stroke but less 70% in truth!
While in Oxford studies many vegans were underweight and being underweight can be a giant risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke other that fractures, neurologic and cardiovascolar diseases, cancers and general mortality
If you’re interested, the previous stroke series’ videos are all listed in the doctor’s notes here: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/do-vegetarians-really-have-higher-stroke-risk/
Woot! We still appreciate all your work Doc & staff and we would much rather have best solution options offered up for any of these supposed challenges to thriving on plants than letting those rumors run amok with no response from sane sources 🥦❤
Would love to know the incredibly low chances of the study results being a fluke. I find it hard to believe that there isn’t more to the story.
👍 Whole food plant based for the environment and health; vegan for the victims!
Good to hear because I turned plantbased after having a stroke, so feel relief to hear it is not being a risk faktor for another one in itself.
he has other videos on the subject. He says you must take B12
@kingorbit now there are many studies on b12 supplements, no benefit for risk popolation 😅 not even in small children.
I remember b12 deficiency Is widespread in many developing country from birth and over 50 years old in the west and NEVER Is checked in every blood analysis laboratory in every country the world
So nice to get this update 😀 thank you so much <3
12 days. My severe arthritis in my shoulder ( dislocated 12 times ) dissapeared, my energy levels increased, no more digestive problems, bp went from 180/110 to 150/90, etc etc .. I would have remained vegan just the arthritis pain to go away. Truly life changing, wish i knew sooner