World Stroke Day: 5 Foods to Help Minimize Risk of Stroke

Stroke is a result of acute brain circulation disorder and causes severe impairment of the brain functions. It happens when the blood supply to the part of your brain is cut off.

There are two important causes of stroke:

• Ischaemic – in this the blood supply is restricted because of a blood clot, accounting for 85% of all cases.
• Haemorrhagic – in this a weak blood vessel supplying the brain bursts

The symptoms of a stroke are:

• Palpitations in the heart
• Paralysis of the face
• Inability to speak and understand one’s speech.
• Weakness, numbness, or paralysis of the arm and leg on one side.

The risk factors include:

• Increased levels of blood sugar
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Lack of proper nutrition (excessive intake of fats, salt, or sugar.)
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes

Stroke is a life-threatening medical condition. Hence, understanding it from an angle of- an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, is your best bet. Read on to find out the top 5 foods that you can include to avoid the risk of a stroke.

• Oatmeal.

Oatmeal potentially reduces the risk of stroke because of its effect on cholesterol levels. They are loaded with fibre and help in reducing the bad cholesterol or LDL levels while increasing the good or HDL cholesterol levels. They are also filling in nature, hence preventing you from overeating and hence weight gain. You can have them for your breakfast, with some fruits and seeds to avoid the risk of stroke.

• Flaxseeds.

Flaxseeds are one of the richest plant-based sources of plant-based omega-3’s. It is the polyunsaturated fat- that raises your good cholesterol levels and reduces the bad cholesterol levels, which helps in reducing the risk of stroke.

• Yoghurt.

Yoghurt is a probiotic. Including it in your diet is good not only for your gut microbiota, but also for lowering your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure- all of which is also related to having a stroke. You can include vegetable raita alongside your lunch, which is a perfect pre- and probiotic food.

• Dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate has high levels of antioxidants, fibre, iron, and magnesium. Phytochemicals in dark chocolate can aid in opening the blood vessels, and reduce blood pressure. Having six servings of dark chocolate in a week can reduce your chance of having coronary heart disease, diabetes and even stroke.

• Fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in fibre and antioxidants. They provide you with a multitude of benefits and are anti-inflammatory in nature. Focus on incorporating more fresh, seasonal, and regional fruits and vegetables. You can especially include apricots, spinach, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, guava, watermelon, and oysters, and pink grapefruits.

Over to you.
Apart from including the above-mentioned foods in your diet, try to be more physically active, limit your alcohol consumption, quit smoking, avoid fast, junk, packaged, and refined products, and eat a rainbow each day. Though there is no specific food that can limit your chances of developing a stroke but building a healthy lifestyle around the above-mentioned foods and tips- can never go wrong.