Miriam tells Loose Women coming out could be linked to mother's stroke
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Stroke kills millions of people around the world annually, but the number is receding year on year. Despite lower mortality rates, the burden is still growing as a result of ageing populations. Taking action to ameliorate cardiovascular health through diet is paramount. Fortunately, a delicious vegetable, eaten in moderation, could help to reduce your risk by up to 24 percent.
Sweet and white potatoes could help to reduce your risk of having a stroke.
Foods high in potassium, such as sweet and white potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, prunes, melon and soybeans, can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure — the leading risk factor of stroke.
Magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, are also linked to a lower risk of stroke.
New research indicates that if older adults want to lower their risk of getting a stroke, one of the best things they can do is eat more high- potassium foods.
People whose diet contains plenty of these foods may be less likely to suffer a stroke than those who get little of the mineral, according to a study reported in the journal Stroke.
The Swedish researchers analysed 10 international studies involving more than 200,000 middle-aged and older adults.
An even larger analysis, published last year in the British Medical Journal, found a similar effect – a higher potassium intake decreased stroke risk by 24 percent in people with high blood pressure.
All that was needed was an extra two to three servings of fruits or vegetables a day.
Potassium is an electrolyte needed for maintaining the body’s fluid balance and is involved in blood pressure regulation.
Potassium’s effect was specifically linked to a reduced risk of ischemic strokes, the ones caused by a blockage in an artery to the brain. Ischemic strokes account for about 80 percent of all strokes.
Some people need to be careful about potassium, however, including those with kidney disease, or who are on certain blood pressure drugs.
A medium sweet potato packs 12 percent of your daily potassium, a mineral that plays an important role in heart health by keeping your sodium levels in check.
High levels of potassium cause a person to excrete more sodium in the urine, which reduces blood pressure.
“It also relieves pressure on blood vessels,” said registered dietician Sarah Pflugradt.
“And both of those things can help reduce your risk for stroke.”
Other foods rich in potassium include:
- Bananas
- Dried fruits (raisins, apricots)
- Beans, lentils
- Winter squash
- Spinach, broccoli
- Beet greens
- Avocado.
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