Best Diet News 2015: Mediterranean Diet Could Reduce Stroke Risk – Study

Fond of Mediterranean cuisine? You might just have lowered your risk of suffering from stroke while enjoying your food at the same time.

Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of getting ischemic strokes, according to a study by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, which followed the eating habits of over 104,000 teachers in California, with an average age of 52, the Daily Science Journal reported on Saturday.

Ischemic stroke occurs when blood clot is formed and it disrupts the supply of blood to the brain. It is caused by atherosclerosis, a condition where a build-up of fatty deposits increases thickness of artery walls.

Ninety percent of the participants were white and were divided into five groups based on how well they followed a Mediterranean diet.

The low-meat and high-fiber characteristics of the Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of stroke, according to the study, which was led by Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, a neurologist at the Center.

Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of plant-based food such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. It also replaces unhealthy fat like butter with healthy fat such as olive oil.

After evaluating the eating habits of these women on a validated nine-point Mediterranean diet scoring system – also taking into account potential factors like smoking habits, cardiovascular risk, and physical activity – researchers found that the women who followed a diet high in fruits and vegetables scored highest on the scale.

Women who ate more meat and sugar daily scored less. Higher score meant facing reduced risk of stroke, while a lower score meant the opposite.

"We aren't saying that everybody has to strictly follow a Mediterranean diet, because we now know the components of this diet that are important. Eating a mostly plant-based diet and eating less meat and saturated fats can make a real difference in stroke risk," said Dr. Sherzai.

Researchers also clarified that the study's findings, which are preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal, only links the Mediterranean diet to lowering the risk of stroke but not a cause-effect relationship.

The study was presented at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting in Nashville.