Foods that prevent stroke

Feb 12, 2020

Diet and lifestyle are primary in preventing stroke. By eating healthy foods, you lower risks of succumbing to a stroke.

HEALTH   DIET  FOOD

Diet and lifestyle are primary in preventing stroke. By eating healthy foods, you lower risks of succumbing to a stroke.

 
Avocado

Sharon Naluwende, a nutritionist at Mulago, notes that the high levels of folate in avocado help protect against stroke. She also says that a combination of ‘good fats', fibre and potassium make avocado able to prevent stroke caused by hypertension, excess cholesterol and heart disease. "Eating avocado, coupled with reducing fried foods and fatty meats helps reduce stroke".

 
Oats and soy

Naluwende says soy milk; young green soybeans make a cholesterol-lowering regimen. When eaten as part of a total diet, low in saturated fat, this combination of foods appears to reduce bad cholesterol levels by 28%, almost as much as a statin drug does.

Magnesium and potassium-rich foods

Naluwende adds that magnesium and potassium-rich foods like barley and cornmeal decrease stroke risks by 30%. These foods include nuts, seeds and whole-grain cereals.

Fruits and vegetables

 
Hassan Mayanja a physician says fruits and vegetables help prevent strokes because they are good sources of antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. They also improve blood flow by helping blood vessels dilate.

Low-fat milk

"Low-fat milk is a good source of potassium, magnesium and calcium, which naturally lower blood pressure", Mayanja adds.

He notes that a study of men in Puerto Rico found that hypertension was half as prevalent among milk drinkers as among those who did not drink it.

A 22-year study of more than 3,100 Japanese men in the Honolulu Heart study found that those who drank at least two 8-ounce glasses of milk a day had half the risk of stroke compared to non-milk drinkers.

Fish

Mayanja notes that by eating more fish, you are automatically eating less red meat and processed meats like sausage, hotdogs, or bacon. This means you are eating less artery-clogging saturated fats.

 
"Omega-3 fats in fish also improve blood flow by reducing inflammation in the arteries and making blood less likely to clot", he adds.

 
A 12-year study at Harvard Medical School of nearly 5,000 adults aged 65 and older found that eating fish one to four times a week lowered stroke risk by 27%.

Bananas

Mayanja says bananas are loaded with potassium which helps reduce stroke risks by 28%.

 
Beans and green vegetables

 
According to researchers in the US, a 20-year study of nearly 10,000 adults reveals that a diet rich in folate lowers the risk of stroke by 20%. Beans and leafy vegetables are rich in folate (vitamin B9)

 

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