Diet And Stroke: Everything You Need To Know
A healthy diet can reduce the risk of developing diseases in the medium and long term. Stroke is one of the pathologies that is related, among other things, to dietary risk patterns. To help in its prevention, it is essential to guarantee the supply of vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
If we optimize the diet, aging can be delayed and, with it, the diseases or pathologies associated with this condition. Those of the cardiovascular or cerebral type claim thousands of deaths each year. To help you avoid them, we are going to recommend the nutrients that you should emphasize in your regular diet.
Omega 3 fatty acids and stroke
Lipids are essential nutrients in the diet. However, not all have the same quality. While omega-6 or trans-type fatty acids are inflammatory, omega-3 fatty acids help reduce systemic inflammation.
The consumption of the latter is positively associated with reducing the risk of stroke, as stated in an article published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences .
To minimize the contribution of inflammatory lipids and maximize the contribution of omega 3 fatty acids, it is necessary to follow a series of dietary recommendations :
- Reduce the consumption of processed foods.
- Increase the intake of oily fish, raw vegetable oils and nuts.
Increase your selenium intake
Selenium is a mineral that is found in small quantities within the human body. This nutrient has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, according to an article published in the journal Cell . For this reason, the intake of foods rich in selenium is associated with a reduction in the risk of suffering a stroke.
The good news is that this mineral can be easily found within nature. Fish, shellfish, and even nuts are rich in selenium.
Prioritizing fish intake over meat is a healthy strategy. Seafood products are rich in protein, but also have a higher water content and essential fatty acids than meats.
On the other hand, fish usually have higher amounts of certain minerals that can be advantageous in reducing the development of certain pathologies.
Vegetables must be present in the diet against stroke
Foods from the plant kingdom are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Both nutrients fight against aging and the development of diseases associated with it. Increasing their consumption reduces mortality from all causes. Among them, there is also stroke.
It is advisable to consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This would be optimal within the framework of a varied and healthy diet.
Avoid toxins
Alcohol is one of the toxic substances with the greatest social acceptance. It is present excessively frequently in the diet. Its consumption is related to worse cardiovascular and brain function.
Ingesting this substance on a recurring basis hinders the proper functioning of the body’s physiological processes and increases the chances of getting sick; also of suffering a stroke.
For this reason we recommend that you remove it from the usual diet. If this is not possible for you, due to the social function it fulfills, at least reduce its consumption. Try substituting alcoholic beverages for sparkling water.
Improve your diet to reduce your risk of stroke
When looking to delay aging, with all the positive consequences in terms of reducing diseases that this entails, it is necessary to optimize diet. Maintaining a varied and balanced eating pattern from the caloric point of view is a good way to guarantee a correct state of health.
Increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and vegetables in the diet significantly reduces the risk of stroke. Nutrients with an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory character are positive when we talk about prevention of pathologies.
On the contrary, it seeks to suppress, or at least reduce, the intake of toxic substances. One of them is alcohol, socially accepted but with serious negative health implications. If you are not able to eradicate your consumption, at least reduce your consumption to specific moments.
