You probably know that what you eat may influence your risk of a heart attack, but did you know it can also influence your risk for a "brain attack"? Stroke, like a heart attack, is a condition of the cardiovascular system, but it affects your brain rather than your heart. And like a heart attack, the health consequences of stroke can be serious. Fortunately, you may be able to lower your risk for stroke through lifestyle factors, including diet. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition adds to the evidence that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables may be one step toward lowering your risk of stroke.

Studying Danish men and women

Researchers in Denmark studied more than 54,000 men and women aged 50-64 to determine whether their consumption of fruits and vegetables influenced their risk for ischemic stroke (this is the common type of stroke caused by clogged arteries that carry blood to the brain).

Study participants filled out detailed questionnaires regarding their usual dietary intake and their medical histories. The researchers then followed the participants for an average of three years and documented how many experienced ischemic stroke. Using statistical analyses, they calculated the link between the participants' intake of fruits and vegetables and their risk of stroke, taking into account other factors that could potentially influence the stroke risk, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and physical activity.

The effect of fruits and vegetables on stroke risk

Those study participants who consumed the most fruits and vegetables had a 28% lower risk of stroke compared with participants who consumed the fewest fruits and vegetables. When examining specific groups of fruits and vegetables individually, the researchers found the strongest association for lowered stroke risk was associated with consumption of fruits, particularly citrus fruits.

How do they work?

According to the researchers, there are a variety of ways in which a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may work to protect against stroke, although the exact "mechanisms of action" remain to be identified. This will require further study. It's possible that one or more nutrients or plant chemicals contained in fruits and vegetables have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

While further research is necessary to confirm the results of this study, the likelihood that eating fruits and vegetables may lower stroke risk is just another of many good reasons to include a variety of them in your diet.