The Mediterranean Diet May Help Cut the Risk of Strokes

Strokes are life-threatening medical emergencies that occur when the brain experiences a disturbance in its blood supply. Because the affected area of the brain can no longer function due to oxygen deprivation, symptoms often include the inability to move one (or both) side(s) of the body, understand spoken language or other neurological impairments, which can result in permanent brain damage. Beyond disability, researchers at the World Health Organization (WHO) have found that strokes are the second leading cause of deaths worldwide.

Nevertheless, a recent study conducted at the Columbia University Medical Center by lead author Ayesha Sherzai and her colleagues suggest that individuals following a Mediterranean diet might decrease their risk of ischemic stroke by 18 percent. Previous studies have suggested the diet may extend life and help prevent heart disease. It’s also considered one of the better overall diets.

According to WebMD, a Mediterranean diet includes many fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, poultry and olive oil, while limiting the consumption of red meat, saturated fats (as seen in red meats, butter and “full-fat dairy”) and sweets.

Though this research does not prove following a non-Mediterranean diet will lead to a greater chance of experiencing a stroke, Dr. Paul Wright, chair of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. told WebMD, “Overall, there is strong evidence, based on this study, that strict adherence to a Mediterranean diet significantly reduces stroke risk.”

Sherzai and her colleagues used data from the ongoing California Teachers Study (CTS) to arrive at their conclusions. The CTS has enrolled over 130,500 female teachers since 1994 and was initially designed to study how dietary patterns affect the risk of developing breast cancer. Sherzai and her colleagues used the data and a validated 9-point Mediterranean diet scoring system to determine that women whose diets were high in fruits and vegetables, also scored highest on the 9-point scale, which meant facing reduced risk of stroke.

Sherzai also found that other factors such as smoking habits, physical activity and cardiovascular risk could also reduce the threat of ischemic stroke in the lives of these women.

This finding is especially important because, as Sherzai said in a statement, “[stroke] treatments [are not] as extensive as we would like them to be, [so] diet is a risk factor that people can control.” Unfortunately, though the American Heart and Stoke Associations have for some time encouraged people to consume a healthy diet to reduce the risks of heart disease, according to Sherzai, only 1 percent of people over 50 years old are actually eating healthy.

Though Sherzai has said she is not encouraging people to follow a Mediterranean diet exclusively, incorporating more of the hallmarks of this diet plan (vegetables, fruits, legumes/nuts, etc.) might serve toward improving an individual’s health and decreasing his or her risk of stroke.

(Photo courtesy of Meal Makeover Moms)