Reduce stroke risk and lower blood pressure by eating 5 common foods every week
Your brain is one of the most important organs in your body, and one of the major health threats your brain can experience is having a stroke. This medical condition is often a life-altering event that can do lasting damage to your brain. But what actually is a stroke?
According to the NHS, "a stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement, and it can take a long time to recover. A stroke needs urgent medical help in a hospital because it can be life-threatening."
Fortunately, many strokes are largely preventable, especially with healthy lifestyle choices, including what you eat. Health expert, Vanessa King, M.S., RDN, shared: "Eating well plays a supportive role in reducing stroke risk and supporting recovery after a stroke."
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Medical studies have shown that "those with the highest-quality diets (as determined by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index) had a 40% lower risk of stroke compared to those with the lowest-quality diets," reported Eating Well.
In fact, regularly eating just four common foods, including one unexpected caffeinated drink, may significantly reduce your risk of stroke. These aren't exotic superfoods that are hard to find; they are everyday items you might already have in your kitchen.
Fish is a major superfood for the brain. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other heart-healthy nutrients that can help lower blood pressure and support the health of your blood vessels.
Health expert Vanessa highlighted: "Three ounces of cooked salmon is a great source of vitamins B6 and B12, providing 23% of the Daily Value of B6 and over 100% of the Daily Value of B12."
"These B vitamins may lower total blood homocysteine concentrations—a key risk factor for stroke."
The expert recommends eating salmon with salads like Salad Niçoise or making a baked dish.
Chickpeas are packed with nutrients that support brain health. Their high fibre and protein content is one of the biggest reasons why they may help reduce stroke risk.
Vanessa shared: "A cup of these versatile beans adds 10% of the Daily Value of homocysteine-lowering vitamin B6. And since they come conveniently precooked, it's easy to crack open a can to upgrade nutrition in your meals.
"They serve as a fibre-rich protein source for stews, salads, curries and snacks."
Speaking to Eating Well, another health expert, Amy Brownstein, debunked misconceptions about soy food
She said: "Soy proteins lower blood pressure. They're naturally low in fat, and compounds like phytoestrogens and isoflavones positively influence blood pressure by potentially relaxing blood vessels."
However, meat eaters do not need to completely change their diet to soy to promote positive blood pressure, but the expert recommends replacing one meat-based meal a week with a soy dish.
Spinach is one of the best greens to incorporate into your diet as its nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and folate, help promote blood flow into your brain.
"A half-cup of cooked spinach is a great source of folate and a good source of magnesium," said Vanessa.
According to Healthline, when you eat leafy greens such as spinach, your body converts the nitrates into nitric oxide, which plays an important role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure.
"A 2021 study found that consuming at least 60 milligrams (mg) per day of vegetable nitrate (1 cup of leafy green vegetables) led to a 17% reduced risk of ischemic stroke."
Surprisingly, health experts have recommended drinking coffee as a part of a healthy diet due to its ability to lower blood pressure levels.
Amy Brownstein highlighted: "Besides its caffeine content, coffee is a significant source of polyphenols like chlorogenic acid, which may contribute to lower blood pressure levels."
However, limiting your sweeteners is recommended as studies show that added sugars can contribute to stroke risk. Too much sugar can also lead to diabetes.
Diabetes can increase the risk of a stroke because having too much sugar in the blood damages the blood vessels, according to stroke.org.
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