Consuming lots of red or processed meat may raise your chance of a stroke — but regularly cooking with olive oil lowers the risk, more research has suggested.
Three decades of research by experts on 100,000 individuals showed that high-fat diets are not the issue.
It echoed dozens of other studies and instead blamed the fats that were consumed.
The study found that people who consumed the highest amounts of lard, red and processed meats were 16 percent more likely to have strokes than those who ate less.
The study showed that people who eat a lot of dairy fat, such as butter or cheese, are not more at risk.
People who cooked often with soybean, olive and corn oils had a 12 percent lower chance of suffering a stroke than people who consumed the lowest amount of such fats.
Fenglei Wang (from Harvard School of Public Health), is leading researcher. She said these findings show that what type of fat people are eating can be more crucial in the prevention of stroke.
Fat from processed and red meats as well as fats from non-dairy animals seem to raise the chance of stroke. Vegetable and dairy fats did not appear to have an effect on the possibility.
Experts have long warned that while red meat — such as beef, lamb and pork — is a good source of protein and vitamins, eating too much may also have health risks.
They believe the high amounts of saturated fat in the meat increases levels of harmful cholesterol, while salt raises blood pressure — both of which increase the risk of having a stroke.
And chemicals found in red meat — that are added during processing or produced when cooking — damage cells which can increase the risk of cancer.
The NHS recommends that adults should eat no more than an average of 70g of red or processed meat per day — equivalent to around two slices of bacon or one sausage.
Every year, there are approximately 100,000 strokes in the UK, and over 800,000 in America. This results in 38,000 and 150,000 deaths.
Experts have long warned that while red meat — such as beef, lamb and pork — is a good source of protein and vitamins, eating too much has health risks, such as increased risk of bowel cancer, as well as heart and circulatory diseases. The NHS recommends that adults should eat no more than an average of 70g of red or processed meat per day — equivalent to around two slices of bacon or one sausage
Although preliminary research was presented to the American Heart Association (AHA), Scientific Sessions, it has yet not been published in any journal.
They looked at data on 117,136 health workers in the US — with an average age of 50 — who were monitored over 27 years in two previous studies examining the risk factors for different chronic diseases.
The studies were conducted in 1980 and all volunteers had been healthy at the time. Every four years, they submitted information through questionnaires about how much fat and what they ate.
6.189 stroke victims suffered during the research.
Researchers didn’t quantify the amount of each group’s diet. Researchers did not quantify how much each group consumed. Instead, they grouped volunteers into quintiles according to their diet.
But eating lots of animal fat from dairy sources — such as cheese, butter milk and cream — did not make it more likely for people to suffer a stroke, according to their research.
And those who ate the most vegetable and polyunsaturated fats — including olive oil, corn and soybean oils in cooking — were 12 per cent less likely to have a stroke compared to those who at the least.
The researchers claimed that their research is the largest to examine how different fats affect stroke risk.
However, they pointed out that this study was observational and could not prove a causal link between stroke risk and fat intake.
Other factors, such as income or lifestyle, were not taken into account in the latest research.
The researchers acknowledge that participants may have given inaccurate answers when they were asked to reveal their annual average fat intake.
This study examined health workers. 97% of them were white. The findings could not hold for others.
Dr Wang explained that his research shows the importance of the fat type and other sources in order to prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke and related complications.
Alice Lichtenstein is a Tufts University nutrition policy and science expert. She was not part of the research.
She said that previous studies had shown that replacing processed meat with protein from other sources (especially plant-based sources) is linked to lower mortality rates.
Professor Lichtenstein said: “Key characteristics of a heart-healthy eating pattern include to balance calories intake with calorie requirements to achieve and sustain a healthy body weight, to choose whole grains and lean, plant-based proteins, and to eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruits.
According to her, people need to limit sugar, salt, fat and processed food, as well as alcohol.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
According to the NHS, meals should consist of potatoes, wholegrain carbohydrates and bread.
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. You can count all fresh, canned, frozen, dried, and canned vegetables
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide