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Get Your Five a Day to Lower Stroke Risk.
Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
An apple per day might prove to be more prophetic than we think.
Now, researchers report that eating fruits and vegetables regularly may protect against the most common kind of stroke.
The findings emerged after the researchers combined the data from two large ongoing studies that have followed the diet habits of over 114,000 health professionals for up to 14 years.
Each one-serving increase in fruits and vegetables, up to six servings a day, was associated with a 6% lower stroke risk.
Those who consumed the most fruits and vegetables had a 1/3 lower risk of stroke than those who consumed the least.
Cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, and vitamin C-rich fruits were all protective, though legumes and potatoes were not. The findings add support to the nutrition mantra: Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
