Your body can’t live without this macronutrient. Yet there’s a lot of confusion about it.

We’ve told you before that eating a high-protein diet won’t make you fat.1 We also showed you that adding more protein won’t make your bones brittle.2 Now a new study may give you yet another good reason to put more protein on your plate at each meal.

Researchers in China examined the link between dietary protein and stroke. They saw data from 254,489 people from the U.S., Japan, and Sweden. It spanned the course of a decade. 3

They found that the people who ate the most protein were about 20% less likely to have a stroke than those who ate the least.4 But that’s not all they found.

Researchers also found that stroke risk dropped an additional 26% for each additional 20 grams of protein added.

That may sound like a lot… But it’s not. It could be as simple as adding five ounces of salmon to your salad. That alone may help make the difference between suffering a stroke and maintaining your health.5 And going with salmon may help lower your risk even more, because…

Researchers saw that people who ate the most animal protein lowered their risk by about 30%.6

This means vegetable protein—though still important—may not be as effective at protecting you from a stroke. But be careful about where your animal protein comes from…

Always avoid processed meats. This means anything that comes in a can, box, or already prepared. Focus on wild-caught salmon—frozen fillets are fine—and organic grass-fed beef. These are both rich in omega-3 fatty acids and quality protein—two essential ingredients for stroke protection.

Nearly 800,000 Americans will have a stroke this year. It kills someone in the U.S. once every four minutes. But stroke is also a leading cause of long-term disability.7

You may not ever be the same after one…independent health may be completely out of the question. But the path to a stroke starts in your heart. Taking care of it today may be the best chance you have at avoiding a stroke tomorrow.

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References:
1http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/09/can-eating-a-high-protein-diet-make-you-fat/
2http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/08/does-a-high-protein-diet-make-your-bones-weaker/
3http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/11/us-protein-stroke-idUSKBN0EM2EC20140611
4http://www.neurology.org/content/83/1/19.short?sid=3a703d52-8ab3-4b06-a962-eb224494fa39
5http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-protein-five-ounces-salmon-5285.html
6Idem
7http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm