Increased consumption of red and processed meats is significantly associated with a high incidence of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke.

This research work was carried out to determine the role of red and processed meats in the development of stroke. Researchers reviewed data obtained from 5 cohort studies that examined 239,251 subjects and 9593 cases of stroke.

Researchers observed that a higher risk of ischemic, but not hemorrhagic, stroke among subjects who regularly consumed large servings of red meat and processed meat products. The consumption of an extra 100g of red meat and total meat and 50g of processed meats per day was found to increase stroke risk by 13%, 10%, and 11% respectively. The findings of this meta-analysis show that high intake of red and processed meats contribute positively to the development of stroke.