Mediterranean Diet Linked to Lower Risk of Stroke and Heart Disease

Those who consistently follow the Mediterranean diet may considerably lower their risk of a stroke or heart disease, a new study has reported. Overall, women who stuck most closely to an eating pattern resembling the Mediterranean diet had an 18 per cent lower risk of any sort of stroke, researchers reported in the journal Neurology Open Access. According to the study, women specifically had a 16 per cent lower risk of strokes caused by blood clots and more than 25 per cent lower risk of strokes due to bleeding in the brain. “Our findings support the mounting evidence that a healthy diet is critical to stroke prevention,” said Dr Sophia Wang, senior researcher and professor of epidemiology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte,

California. “We were especially interested to see that this finding applies to hemorrhagic stroke, as few large studies have looked at this type of stroke,” Wang added in a news release.

How was the study conducted?

Scientists analyzed data from a long-term study of California teachers that included more than 133,000 female instructors and administrators. They tracked the women’s health since 1995, all of whom filled out an extensive diet questionnaire when they entered the study. The diet, which includes fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds, and olive oil, is supposed to be eaten at least twice a week, and dairy and lean proteins are eaten daily in smaller portions. Experts believe this diet encourages minimal consumption of red meats and processed foods, and cutting out sugary beverages. Every participating woman was scored between 0 and 9 based on how closely their eating pattern followed that recommended by the Mediterranean diet. Around 30 per cent of the participants received a score of 6 to 9 and were placed in the group with the highest adherence to the diet. On the other hand, 13 per cent received scores of 0 to 2.Also read: Who is Dawn Roth, Fashion Influencer Diagnosed With Metastatic Cancer in Colon, Lungs, and Abdomen?

A lesser number of strokes in women who followed the Mediterranean diet

After a follow-up, which was done after 21 years, around 4,000 strokes occurred among all the women. For ischemic strokes caused by a clot blocking blood flow to the brain, there were 1,058 among the 31,638 people in the highest group compared to 395 cases among the 13,204 people in the lowest group. For hemorrhagic strokes caused by bleeding in the brain, there were 211 strokes among those in the highest group, compared to 91 among the lowest group. Even after adjusting for other risk factors, researchers found that the Mediterranean diet made a significant difference in women’s risk for stroke. “Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, so it’s exciting to think that improving our diets could lessen our risk for this devastating disease,” Wang said. “Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to help us understand the mechanisms behind them so we can identify new ways to prevent stroke.”

How is the Mediterranean diet effective in lowering stroke risk?

The Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of stroke by improving several key biological processes that protect blood vessels and the brain. Here’s how it works - clearly and simply.

• Improves the health of your blood vessels
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces bad cholesterol
• Improves blood sugar
• Lowers chronic inflammation
• Reduces dangerous blood clotting