Eating and Drinking Properly: How Diet Can Prevent Stroke
Around 270,000 people in Germany suffer a stroke every year. Unfortunately, for around 37 percent of those affected, this ends fatally. For this reason, stroke is one of the three most common causes of death among German citizens, alongside heart attack and cancer. One of the reasons for this is the consumption of unhealthy foods. One is therefore a suitable way to actively prevent a stroke. This article introduces various foods that can reduce the risk of stroke. We also show which foods are better to avoid for health reasons.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a sudden failure of certain brain functions. This often happens as a result of circulatory disorders or bleeding in the brain region. In both cases, further blood flow to the brain is interrupted. After only a short time, various failures occur. This leads to unilateral paralysis, visual and speech disorders as well as difficulty walking. If a stroke is not treated promptly, the brain can be irreversibly damaged. In the worst case, this leads to permanent damage and even death for those affected. If there is a suspicion of a stroke, the patient should go to the doctor as quickly as possible.
How can a stroke occur?
When and if a stroke will occur cannot be predicted with certainty. However, the level of risk depends on various factors. It is not only increasing age or insufficient exercise that plays a decisive role. The choice of our food also has a not inconsiderable influence on whether we could be affected by a stroke in the future. With the right diet, the risk of a stroke can be greatly reduced.
What foods can promote a stroke?
One is the trigger for many diseases. Eating some foods can also increase your risk of stroke. A high cholesterol level in particular is said to lead to a higher risk. Many high-cholesterol foods, such as red meat, cream, or mayonnaise, promote stroke. Fatty acids and sugar should also be consumed in moderation. Because sweet or high-fat food can lead to vascular calcification, the so-called arteriosclerosis. It doesn’t matter whether it’s gummy bears, chocolate, bacon or butter: the food may be tasty, but eating it is unhealthy. Incidentally, light drinks such as lemonade can also be harmful to the blood vessels.
Too much salt also increases the risk of stroke. The German Stroke Society explains this with the increase in blood pressure. The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends consuming just five grams of salt per day. In addition to individual foods, overeating also provokes a stroke. Obesity is a crucial factor that should not be neglected. In addition to a healthy diet, there should also be enough exercise in everyday life.
What foods can prevent a stroke?
While there are some foods that are said to increase the risk of a stroke, some foods do the complete opposite. A healthy diet can therefore be an extremely strong prevention. At the top of recommended nutrients. These are found, for example, in whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables. It doesn’t matter whether it’s wholemeal bread, apples, broccoli, nuts or lentils: many doctors and scientists recommend ensuring a sufficiently high consumption of these foods.
It is not without reason that studies have shown that a fiber intake of just ten grams per day can reduce the risk of an ischemic stroke by 23 percent. No other dietary component has been linked as strongly to potential stroke risk reduction as the dietary fiber group of nutrients. In view of this fact, various medical institutes recommend the sufficient consumption of dietary fiber. The European Society of Cardiology recommends a daily consumption of at least 30 grams.
