Eating the right foods can help slash your risk of life-threatening stroke, a leading cause of death in the United States.
Consuming heart healthy options and avoiding meals that are high in saturated fat, salt, or sugar is critical, according to experts.
“Diet can be an important, powerful tool to reduce your risk of stroke,” Hackensack Meridian Health cardiologist Dr. Madhav Upadhyaya explained in a statement.
Strokes occur when a clot blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel bursts, causing areas to become damaged or die. Strokes can result in problems with speech and comprehension, affect vision, lead to a severe headache and trouble walking, and leave a person paralyzed in their face, arm, or leg.
They can also be fatal. Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer strokes every year and there were more than 165,000 deaths in 2022, according to the American Heart Association.
People can have a stroke at any age, but certain factors increase the odds. High blood pressure is a leading cause but genetics, race, gender, age, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, sickle cell disease are also known risk factors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Strokes are more common in women than in men and the chance of having a stroke doubles every 10 years after people turn 55.
Drinking too much alcohol, not getting enough physical activity, smoking, and eating an unhealthy diet can also heighten an individual’s risk.
Roughly 80 percent of strokes are preventable, experts say, and making dietary improvements help greatly to prevent one.
“Focusing on eating nutrient-rich foods that are good for your heart can help lower your stroke risk,” Geisinger vascular neurologist David Ermak advised.
Breakfast of champions
Eating two cups of non-fat plain or Greek yogurt a week is a great way to get filling protein with low calories. Yogurt is also rich in heart-healthy nutrients, such as calcium and potassium, that help regulate blood pressure.
Yogurt is also packed with healthy bacteria called probiotics that can regulate peoples’ gut health. Gut health is linked with heart health and a healthy gut can reduce the risk of stroke, according to Harvard Medical School.
Serve a cup of yogurt up with some potassium-rich banana slices, nuts, or berries to make it tastier and even better for your cardiovascular health.
Benefits that aren’t so fishy
Regularly eating salmon, tuna, trout, and other lean fish has been tied to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Just one to two meals including 3.5-ounce servings of fish a week can give people better heart health, the American Heart Association says.
The fish pair well with cooked leafy greens, such as spinach and kale. Both greens provide similar heart benefits.
But, you don’t have to eat the fish to reap the rewards. Taking fish oil supplements can slash risk for a stroke, as well. Just four grams a day was enough to cut it by a quarter, according to University of Utah Health.
Another reason to eat plant-based
Beans are low in fat, rich in fiber, and nutrient-dense. They’re a hearty side dish for fish, chicken, and other protein, and a crucial ingredient of delicious burritos.
Eating beans can help improve cholesterol and overall heart health, and consuming a serving of beans a day — or about half a cup — can reduce stroke risk by 20 percent. This is because beans are rich in folate, a B vitamin that’s important for cell growth.
They’re also a great source of protein. A serving of beans contains about 8 grams, providing a healthier substitute for fatty animal protein.
“When you focus on eating plant-based options, you make healthier choices,” Dr. Upadhyaya noted. “You’re likely to crowd out saturated fats, salt and sugar from your diet.”
