7 Healthy Dietary Choices to Prevent Stroke
By Nmami Agarwal 30-May 2022 Reading Time: 4 Mins
Just imagine you are late for work and it’s the turning point of your career as you have to give a presentation, but then you find that the road you usually take for work is blocked. All of a sudden, you start panicking, losing hope, and at the end you give up. Day after that, you get an email from the company saying “you’re fired”. Such is the case with strokes, wherein a blood vessel in the brain gets blocked, which in turn prevents oxygen from reaching the brain that can be fatal. Well, no one wants that to happen, so let’s take a look over some foods that can prevent stroke.
- Oats: – These fiber rich grains have exceptional health benefits. Not only can these prevent stroke but also it can help you in losing weight. Beta glucan, a type of soluble fiber, found in oats is responsible for all those wonders.
- Yogurt: – You must have heard the phrase “happy gut, happy mind”. Probiotics in yogurt add to good gut bacteria, which in turn boosts brain health that helps you cope with stroke. Gut and brain communicate via gut-brain axis that is why moods are greatly affected by gut health.
- Beans: – Often known for protein content, beans have much more to offer. Beans such as chickpeas, kidney beans, cow peas, etc. are an excellent source of soluble fiber that helps cease bad cholesterol to rise up. It is because of bad cholesterol a.k.a LDL that blood vessels get jacked with fatty deposits.
- Dark chocolate: – Studies have shown that by replacing regular chocolates with dark ones can improve blood flow to the brain and lower blood pressure. The flavanols in dark chocolate can decrease LDL, simultaneously increasing HDL (good cholesterol). What’s more, cocoa in dark chocolate may improve cognitive functions.
- Red wine: – Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine has proven to retain HDL and decrease LDL by as much as 50%, but here’s the catch, having too much of wine can have the opposite effect.
- Salmon: – No wonder why this fish comes under the category of “superfoods”, given that salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Omega-3 fatty acids have known to lower LDL and increase HDL. Vitamin d can help prevent stroke, although more conclusive evidence is needed.
- Green tea: – In one study, researchers discovered that persons who drank some amount of green or black tea had substantially fewer instances of recurrent stroke.
Over to you
Stroke is appalling, but you can prevent stroke just by making a few efforts!