Everyone knows that a good diet is important to keeping good heart health. But did you know it can have an impact on your risk of stroke as well? A recent study found that increasing your dietary intake of soy products, fruits and vegetables has the potential to seriously reduce your risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Though the group that conducted the study did indicate that more data was needed to definitively link certain dietary practices to their impact on stroke risk, initial findings did indicate that those who consumed 3 – 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day demonstrated a statistically lower instance of stroke than those that did not. The group noted that they estimate 80% of all strokes are completely preventable simply by addressing certain lifestyle factors, such as poor diet. In the study, consumption of fruits, vegetables and soy products demonstrated protective effects against stroke, though variable findings were also observed in the consumption of fish and whole grains.
The group plans to expand their research base to produce more definitive findings, but their initial results are extremely promising to helping to reduce the risk of stroke. So if you have a history of stroke in your family, it might be time to help yourself to some more fruits and veggies. You may just be saving your own life in the process!