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Study: Plant Based Diets Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Plant based diets, like vegan and vegetarian, are recommended for good health, but a new study has discovered that not all of these diets are created equal.

New research from Harvard says to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by 25 percent you should eat a whole food plant based diet. This includes real fruits, vegetables and whole grains rather than eating a less healthy plant based diet consisting of foods like sweetened beverages, refined grains and sweets.

Vegan and cardiologist Joel Khan says you should avoid soda and salty snacks, and focus more of your time in the produce section at the grocery store.

"You should be spending the majority of your budget and majority of your time in the produce department at the grocery store, at the farmer's market," Khan told WWJ. "Where you can go wrong is if you're buying highly processed substitute foods or junk foods that could be plant based (instead)."

Khan added that your body can start making positive changes in just three weeks of following a whole food plant based diet.

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