Proper nutrition can reduce your risk of stroke

by Grenada Food and Nutrition Council

A stroke occurs when a part of the brain doesn’t have enough blood flow, this normally occurs as a result of a blocked artery or bleeding in the brain that causes the cells in the brain to die from lack of oxygen.

A stroke is life-threatening and immediate medical attention is needed to prevent severe and permanent damage to the brain or death.

You can save your life or help save the life of someone else if you are aware of the signs of a stroke. When a stroke occurs, it is mostly painless and happens suddenly. The most common signs are sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg; particularly on one side of the body, sudden difficulty understanding, slurred speech or confused speech, sudden difficulty seeing in one eye or both eyes, sudden loss of balance and coordination, or loss of the ability to walk, and sudden severe headache.

You are at risk of having a stroke if you practice poor lifestyle choices or are predisposed due to genetic traits. Having one or more risk factors does not mean that you definitely will have a stroke, only that you are more likely to have one compared to another person. You are at a greater risk of having a stroke if a parent, grandparent, sister, or brother has had a stroke or if a family member has had a heart attack at an early age. A person who has already had a stroke or heart attack is at a much higher risk of having a second stroke.

You are also at risk of having a stroke if you suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension or high blood pressure, which is the single most important risk factor for stroke. Normal blood pressure should be 120/80 mmHg or less. Another factor is diabetes mellitus which causes damage to small blood vessels, putting you at risk of having a stroke. High cholesterol is also a common risk factor, having your cholesterol levels checked regularly and limiting the amount of saturated fat you eat can help manage your cholesterol levels. Additionally, smoking remains the most important preventable cause of premature death. Other risk factors include sickle cell disease, atrial fibrillation, carotid, peripheral and other artery diseases and a poor diet.

According to the American Heart Association, diets high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels and diets that are also high in sodium (salt) can contribute to increased blood pressure. However, a diet that includes 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce stroke risk.

You can also reduce your risk of developing a stroke by controlling your blood pressure when you do the following: eat a better diet, engage in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, manage stress, avoid tobacco smoke and, take your medication as prescribed.

Having a healthy diet reduces the risk of acquiring medical conditions such as hypertension or high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high levels of bad cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Improving your diet and having regular exercise can help you to avoid a stroke. Eating healthy foods in variety can assist you in retaining the right amount of minerals and nutrition your body needs. You can also reduce your risk of having a stroke if you reduce the use of canned foods and increase fresh foods. Choose more whole grains, vegetables, fruits and foods low in fats and saturated fat, use less added sugar, sweet foods and drinks and balance the foods you eat with physical activity. Choose foods with moderate amounts of salt and sodium and try using herbs, spices, lemon, lime or vinegar instead of salt. Avoid or reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages.