Not Just Slim, This Healthy Diet Proven to Reduce Stroke Risk

JAKARTA – As women age, their risk of stroke increases, especially after menopause. A recent long-term study shows that daily diet plays a big role in reducing this risk.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in women. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 1 in 5 women aged 55 to 75 will have a stroke.

The good news is that the Mediterranean diet, which has long been known to be healthy, is showing its benefits. A new study published in the American Academy of Neurology’s open access journal Neurology found that this diet can help reduce the risk of stroke in women.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of:

– Vegetables

– Fruits

– Nuts and legumes

– Olive oil

– Fish

– Whole grains

Meanwhile, red meat and dairy consumption are limited, and alcohol is consumed in moderation.

Researchers followed more than 105,000 women enrolled in the California Teachers Study, which began in 1995. Participants were public school teachers, administrators, or members of the California teachers’ pension system, with ages ranging from 38 to 67 years.

At the beginning of the study, participants filled out a detailed questionnaire about their eating patterns and portion sizes over the past year. From the data, researchers assessed how closely each participant’s diet matched the Mediterranean diet using a 9-point rating system.

Points are given for high consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, olive oil, fish, and low consumption of meat and dairy products, plus moderate consumption of alcohol. The higher the score, the more compliant a person is with the Mediterranean diet.

After a follow-up period of 20.5 years, researchers found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of all types of stroke.

In detail, the overall risk of stroke decreased by 18%, the risk of ischemic stroke (due to blockage of blood flow to the brain) decreased by 16% and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (due to bleeding in the brain) decreased by 25%.

Previously, the Mediterranean diet was also associated with a reduced risk of dementia, gum disease, depression, breast cancer, and diabetes.

Preventive cardiologist, Dr. Andrew Freeman, said this finding was not surprising. He highlighted an earlier large study, PREDIMED, which showed a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease in people following a Mediterranean diet with the greatest benefits seen in stroke prevention.

However, the reduction in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is a fairly new finding. According to Dr. Sophia Wang, one of the lead authors of the study, lifestyle factors have long been known to affect ischemic stroke, but the benefits of dietary patterns on stroke due to brain hemorrhage are only apparent in this study.

The risk of stroke in women increases when entering menopause and remains high afterwards. This study shows that there are concrete steps that can be taken to reduce this risk, one of which is by maintaining a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet.

Researchers admit there are some limitations, for example they do not track changes in participants’ diet or olive oil consumption over time. Even so, the results of this study still add to the long list of evidence that a plant-based diet and low saturated fat are good for heart and blood vessel health.

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