The Best Foods to
Prevent Stroke
Discover the
best foods to prevent stroke and the foods you should avoid. Plus, see what
other lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of getting this deadly disease.
Stroke kills
about 5 million people worldwide per year. It’s the leading cause of permanent
disability in the U.K. And it’s a rapidly growing threat for middle-aged women
in particular.
But if you
want to prevent yourself and those you love from getting a stroke, there’s good
news…
Basic
lifestyle changes can have a big impact in reducing stroke risk. In fact,
according to research, stroke is 80% preventable by addressing lifestyle
factors, including improving diet, stopping
smoking, and getting regular
exercise.
The Best Way to Avoid Stroke Is By
Improving Your Diet
The best way
to avoid suffering from a stroke is to eat a whole food, plant-based diet
centred on vegetables, lentils, beans, seeds, whole grains, fruits, and nuts.
But to get
the full benefits, plant-strong eaters must have a regular, reliable source of
B12 — meaning B12-fortified foods or supplements.
Why Do Plant-Based
Diets Lower The Risk of Stroke?
One reason why plant-based diets
protect against stroke is due to the fibre found in whole plant foods.
Studies find
that for every seven grams of fibre you eat per day, you get nearly a 7% drop
in the risk of first-time stroke. But 90% of the people in the U.K never meet
the minimum daily recommendation for fibre.
Plant foods
are also filled with antioxidants. Antioxidant-packed foods help reduce
inflammation and prevent plaque build-up in the arteries, and they also improve
blood flow.
In a study
of more than 30,000 older women over a period of 12 years, those who ate the
most antioxidant-rich foods had the lowest stroke risk. (However, choosing
antioxidant supplements didn’t appear to help.)
On average,
plant foods contain 64 times more antioxidants than animal foods. But you
should always strive for a variety of fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices at
every meal, so you can continuously flood your body with a wide range of
antioxidants.
What Science Says About the Best
Foods to Prevent Stroke?
Nuts
Studies have shown adding an ounce of
nuts per day seemed to cut the risk of stroke in half.
Greens
Greens have turned out to be
associated with the strongest protection against major chronic diseases,
including a 20% reduction for strokes (and heart disease) for every additional
serving.
Citrus fruits
Citrus intake has been associated
with lower stroke risk. According to a study of 70,000 women published in the
journal Stroke, women who consumed the most flavonoids from citrus fruits over
a 14-year period had a 19% lower risk of stroke than women who consumed the
fewest.
Whole grains
Eating whole grains has been found to
be associated with a reduced risk of stroke. It is recommended you eat at least
3 servings of whole grains each day for stroke prevention.
Garlic
Garlic is a great choice for reducing
stroke risk. A study found that regular garlic consumption resulted in a 50%
reduction in rates of stroke.
Tomatoes
High levels of lycopene, which is
found in tomatoes, may be associated with a significantly reduced risk of
stroke.
Coffee and green tea
The results of a 13-year study of
more than 80,000 Japanese adults found that those who drank at least one cup of
coffee a day had a 20% reduced risk of stroke and those who drank 2 to 3 cups
of green tea daily had a 14% reduced risk of stroke.
Potassium-rich foods
Eating more potassium-rich foods is
associated with a significantly lower stroke risk. Increasing your potassium
intake can led to a 21% lower stroke risk. Less than 2% of Britons reach the
daily potassium intake because most people don’t eat enough unprocessed plant
foods.
Potassium is abundant in fruits and
vegetables. Greens, beans, and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of
potassium.
Magnesium-rich foods
Higher magnesium intake is associated
with a reduced risk of stroke. Beans, leafy greens, and whole grains are all
loaded with magnesium.
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