Like many other health conditions, what you eat can play a role in your likelihood of suffering a stroke. This is because having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are all conditions that can increase your chances of a stroke. And these are all influenced by diet.
One expert recommended eating more apples and pears to lower your risk of stroke. Nutritionist Rob Hobson, speaking on behalf of British Apples and Pears, referenced a study published in the Atherosclerosis journal.
Hobson: “This is a really interesting study that highlights the important role that fruits, and vegetables have to play in the health of your heart and in particular the risk of stroke. The study showed that those with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables were 13 percent less likely to have a stroke. The researchers then looked at subgroups of vegetables. Those who regularly consumed apples and pears were 11 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who did not eat apples and pears.”
As part of the study the team followed 74,961 participants who had completed a food frequency questionnaire in the autumn of 1997. At the time they were free from stroke, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Around 10 years later they were then checked up on.
During that period, the group experienced a total of 4,089 stroke cases, including 3,159 cerebral infarctions, 435 intracerebral haemorrhages, 148 subarachnoid haemorrhages, and 347 unspecified strokes. It concluded that those who ate the highest amount of fruits and vegetables were at the lowest risk of stroke.
