In a large-scale study, researchers at the University of Oxford examined the influence of dietary habits on the risk of stroke. They came to some surprising results.
Study looks at two types of stroke
The ones in “American Heart JournalThe published study includes data from more than 418,000 people from nine European countries. The study initially confirms what other studies have already shown: Those who eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and fiber have a lower risk of stroke.
What is new about the current study, however, is that the researchers analyzed the different types of stroke separately considered: the ischemic infarctionwho as a result of a vascular occlusion arises, and the hemorrhagic infarctionwho through a cerebral hemorrhage is caused.
Fruit, vegetables and whole grains reduce the risk of stroke
The analysis of dietary habits was particularly revealing. participants, the one ischemic stroke had consumed more red and processed meats, but fewer whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and also less cheese and dairy products.
Negative effects can be compensated
However, the higher risk observed with heavy consumption of red and processed meat (defined as over 50 grams per day) decreased when certain other foods were consumed in addition. For example, the negative effect of the meat could be offset by a whole-grain diet. The positive effects of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, cheese and dairy products remained stable in all analyses.
Can Eggs Cause Cerebral Bleeding?
On the risk of cerebral hemorrhage, the one hemorrhagic stroke cause, these dietary factors do not seem to have a protective effect. The evaluation shows that only the consumption of eggs significantly increases the risk of hemorrhagic strokes. The risk increases by a factor of 1.25 per 20 grams per day. In addition, no other dietary factors were found to have a damaging or protective effect.
The study authors suspect that the different effects caused by nutrition have been obtained have to do with the effect of certain foods on blood pressure and blood lipid levels. Because the foods that protect against an ischemic stroke, according to the study, also lower blood pressure. Red and processed meat and eggs, on the other hand, increase blood pressure and total cholesterol.
Conclusion and classification of the study
However, the study leaves unanswered whether, for example, the consumption of eggs also leads to more cerebral hemorrhage when blood pressure and fat levels are controlled with medication. Professor Hans-Christoph Diener from the German Society for Neurology (DGN) points this out.
The study also does not prove “whether nutritional factors have additional, direct effects on the risk of stroke”. Still, the expert concedes that everyone who eats a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains but low in red meat can reduce the top two risk factors for stroke – high blood pressure and high blood lipid levels – can significantly reduce. This is an important contribution to prevention.
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