Antioxidants from FOOD (not from pills) Prevent Stroke

Stroke is the 2nd leading cause of death for all of us with women at even higher risk than men.  Given the frequency of stroke and the potentially devastating consequences, the more we know about preventing stroke, the better.

How to Prevent Stroke

Several healthy lifestyle choices are known to decrease the risk of stroke:

Now we can add eating a diet high in antioxidants. 

Antioxidants and the Risk of Stroke

Antioxidants, and their role in preventing disease, have been of great interest for some time.  The antioxidant theory makes sense; antioxidants neutralize oxygen free radicals (byproducts of the body’s metabolism) and these free radicals are known to damage cells leading to cancer, heart disease, premature aging and other health problems.  This led to the theory that we can get our antioxidants from taking vitamins and other supplements.  However, taking antioxidant supplements like beta carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C have been universally disappointing in improving health.

This does not, however, mean that FOODS high in antioxidants are not beneficial.  Further evidence that we can’t separate the “magical ingredient” from healthy whole foods comes from a study reported in Stroke.  Swedish researchers followed over 36,000 women for 12 years and tracked strokes in relation to how much antioxidant-rich foods they ate.  What they found was that those that ate the most antioxidant rich foods had a decreased risk of stroke.

So what are the foods highest in antioxidants?  Basically the same foods that are in a healthy diet.

Even if antioxidant supplements may not improve our health, the evidence continues to accumulate that healthy foods do.  Which makes more sense to you?

Lead the best life,

Achieve-Life