Following a Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of stroke in women, according to a large study published in Neurology Open Access.
While the study does not prove that the diet directly causes fewer strokes, it shows a strong connection between this eating style and lower stroke rates.
The study found that women who followed the Mediterranean diet were less likely to have any kind of stroke. This included both ischemic strokes, which happen when blood flow to the brain is blocked, and hemorrhagic strokes, which are caused by bleeding in the brain. Ischemic stroke is the most common type.
The Mediterranean diet is based on eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. It limits red meat, dairy products, and unhealthy fats. This way of eating has already been linked to better heart health, and this study adds more evidence that it may protect the brain too.
The research was led by Dr. Sophia S. Wang from the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California. She said the results highlight the importance of a healthy diet in preventing stroke. She also noted that it was especially interesting to see the link with hemorrhagic stroke, since few studies have focused on that type.
The study followed over 105,000 women with an average age of 53 who had no history of stroke at the start. The participants answered questions about their diet and were scored from zero to nine, depending on how closely they followed the Mediterranean diet.
People got points for eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and olive oil, and drinking alcohol in moderation. They also got points for eating less red meat and dairy.
About 30% of the women had high scores of six to nine, while 13% had low scores of zero to two.
The participants were tracked for about 21 years. During that time, 4,083 strokes occurred. These included 3,358 ischemic strokes and 725 hemorrhagic strokes.
In the group with the highest Mediterranean diet scores, there were 1,058 ischemic strokes, compared to 395 in the group with the lowest scores. For hemorrhagic strokes, the high-score group had 211 cases, and the low-score group had 91.
After adjusting for other risk factors like smoking, exercise, and high blood pressure, researchers found that the women who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely were 18% less likely to have a stroke. They were 16% less likely to have an ischemic stroke and 25% less likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke.
Dr. Wang said, “Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, so it’s exciting to think that improving our diets could lessen our risk for this devastating disease.” She added that more research is needed to confirm these results and understand how the diet works to protect the brain.
One limitation of the study is that the diet information was self-reported, which means some people may not have remembered their eating habits accurately.
Still, the findings support the idea that eating well—like following a Mediterranean diet—can be a powerful tool for preventing serious health problems like stroke.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
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