PERTH, Australia—Individuals who consume a healthy diet may reduce their risk of stroke, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet Neurology. The findings suggest poor nutrition increases the risk of stroke, and questions the role of antioxidant, vitamin and calcium supplements.
Researchers at the Royal Perth Hospital in Australia reviewed data to investigate the association of nutrition and diet with the risk of stroke. They found poor nutrition in the first years of a woman's life was associated with an increased risk of stroke in the mother's offspring. Malnourishment at all stages of life (in utero, infancy, childhood, and adulthood) predisposed individuals to stroke later in life. Eating too much increased risk for stroke by accelerating the development of obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and diabetes.
Reliable evidence suggested that antioxidant vitamins, B vitamins, and calcium supplementation were not associated with a decreased risk of stroke. Dietary patterns were seen to have an impact on stroke risk; less reliable evidence suggested that prudent diets, aligned to the Mediterranean or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diets (which are low in salt and added sugars, high in potassium, and do not exceed energy requirements), reduced the risk of stroke.
