Fruits and Vegetables Reduce Stroke Risk
Source:	Journal of the American Medical Association
Date:	October 7, 1999
By:	Allan Sison
Medical Tribune News Service A study has shown that eating fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of an ischemic stroke. Researchers found that eating five to six servings of fruits and vegetables each day can result in a 31 percent decrease in ischemic stroke risk when compared to eating fewer than three servings. Ischemic stroke comprises 80 percent of all strokes. The condition is brought about by a blood clot in the arteries of the brain. Experts estimate that 700,000 Americans are afflicted with stroke each year. Approximately 160,000 of them die from the disorder. Scientists, led by Dr. Kaumudi Joshipura, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, examined more than 114,000 adults in two studies. As part of the Nurses' Health Study, 75,596 women were observed for 14 years, and 38,683 men were observed for eight years in the Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study. Each individual serving of fruits and vegetables resulted in a 6 percent decrease of ischemic stroke risk. Researchers also discovered that a fruit and vegetable intake of more than six servings per day did not result in any additional reduction of ischemic stroke risk. ``There are very few studies that relate fruit and vegetables to cardiovascular disease, even though some of the constituents of fruits and vegetables are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease,'' Joshipura said. ``I would hope that this study provides an additional motivation to the public to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables.'' One of her future research projects will examine the link between fruits and vegetables and heart attacks. Consuming citrus fruits, citrus juice, green leafy vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) resulted in the lowest risk levels. ``There's been a lot of recommendation to increase fruit and vegetable intake and there have been some suggestions ... that this can be beneficial for stroke,'' said Dr. Meir Stampfer, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and member of the research team. The current means of stroke prevention is through blood pressure control and lifestyle changes. ``In terms of lifestyle measures, control of body weight, physical activity, and cigarette smoking are the three main [factors],'' he said. ``Some of the constituents of fruits and vegetables such as antioxidants, folate, and fiber have been associated with reduced risk of stroke, although it is likely that there may be other components that we are not aware of,'' Joshipura said. ``People will continue to try to tease out which components of fruits and vegetables are contributory,'' Stampfer said. He added that more research must be done to single out what fruits and vegetables are most beneficial. ``I hope people will distinguish more clearly between fruits and vegetables in general,'' remarked Stampfer, noting that he and his colleagues did not see any positive effects from potatoes, for example. Their study is published in the October 6 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (www.jama.com).