Daily Protein Consumption Can Lower Your Risk of Stroke.

An interesting article posted by The Telegraph reported on a new study that found that eating just one chicken breast a day could lower your risk of stroke by 20%. 

So is it the chicken that does the trick? No, its the protein - or more specifically 20g of protein a day that lowers your risk of stroke. And you know our Serious Oats Team is a hugh fan of protein and it's health benefits, so we had to repost. Check out the article below. 

Eating a high protein diet significantly lowers the risk of stroke and could prevent 10,000 deaths in Britain every year, a study has suggested.
Consuming as little as one chicken breast, or a salmon fillet – the equivalent of 20g – reduces the risk of stroke by 20 per cent. And for every additional 20 grams per day of protein that people ate, their risk of stroke decreased a further 26 per cent.
"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, “ said study author Dr Xinfeng Liu, of Nanjing University School of Medicine in Nanjing, China.
"The amount of protein that led to the reduced risk was moderate — equal to 20 grams per day.”
Researchers followed 254,489 people for an average of 14 years and monitored their diets and health.
Dr Liu said that people should avoid red meat, which has been associated with increased stroke risk.
Two of the studies were conducted in Japan, where people eat less red meat than westerners do and more fish, which has been associated with decreased risk of stroke.
"These results indicate that stroke risk may be reduced by replacing red meat with other protein sources, such as fish," Liu said.
Protein has the effect of lowering blood pressure, which may play a role in reducing stroke risk.
The reduced risk of stroke was stronger for animal protein than vegetable protein.
The research was published in the journal Neurology.

Changing Perceptions of Hunger

A recant study performed by Joel Fuhrman, Babara Sarter, Dale Glaser and Steve Acocella, caught my eye in the Nutrition Journal. The study was entitled, Changing perceptions of hunger on a high nutrient density diet.

The study observed 768 participants; primarily from the United States, as they changed their dietary habits from a low micronutrient diet to a high micronutrient diet.

They reported highly significant changes in both physical and emotional symptoms of hunger. Those who practiced the high micronutrient diet reported that hunger was more tolerated and occurred less frequently, even when meals were skipped.

After the completion of this study they were able to conclude that a high micronutrient dense diet mitigates the unpleasant aspects of the experience of hunger even though it is lower in calories. This study suggests that it is not simple caloric content, but more importantly the micronutrient density of a diet that influences the experience of hunger. A high micronutrient diet can result in more sustainable eating habits that will lead to weight loss and improved health.

I have always been a firm believer that your body tells you what it needs. And this study suggests that by consuming a diet high in micronutrients that your body’s nutritional requirements will be met more efficiently therefore reducing the snack cravings even when you are not hungry. So what is the take-away here? If you improve the QUALITY of your food, your body will desire less QUANTITY. 

To view the entire study click here.