Foods that May Protect Against Stroke

Pop quiz: What do apples, pears, cucumbers and cauliflower have in common? Answer: The edible parts of all of them are white. And these fruits and vegetables have now been identified as foods that may dramatically lower the risk of stroke. This news comes from a decade long Dutch study that involved more than 20,000 adults age 20 to 65, none of whom had cardiovascular disease when they enrolled. Over the 10 years, 233 of the study participants suffered strokes. Researchers have since compared the diets the participants reported eating to see which fruits and vegetables, if any, were associated with a lower risk of stroke.

Based on information contained in the questionnaires all participants filled out, those who ate the most "white" fruits and vegetables were 52 percent less likely to have had strokes than those who didn't eat as much of these foods. The amount that seemed to make a difference was 171 grams, the equivalent of one medium to large apple daily. The most commonly eaten white foods were apples, pears and applesauce. The study was published online September 15 in Stroke.

Related articles

• An Apple a Day Really May Keep the Doctor Away (whatontoday.com)
• High Chocolate Consumption Linked To Lower Stroke Risk In Females (beinhealthwomen.blogspot.com)
• Certain After-Stroke Treatments May Boost Outcome (beinhealthwomen.blogspot.com)

Posted in: Apple,Fruit,Lower Risk,Stroke,Vegetable