Antioxidant-rich foods can significantly cut your risk of stroke

Never too late

I’ve always advised my patients to eat an antioxidant-rich diet. One filled with fresh vegetables, certain fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fish. And lots of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

The nutrients in these foods are exactly what your body needs to fight the free radicals that lead to inflammation and serious disease. And it’s never too late for these foods to work their protective magic.

In fact, according to a new study, eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods can significantly cut your risk of stroke–even if you’ve already had one…and even if you have heart disease.

Results of the study were published in the journal Stroke. Researchers followed women from Sweden and Finland, between the ages of 49 and 83. They looked at healthy women and women with a history of heart disease and/or stroke. Each of the women completed detailed questionnaires to determine the antioxidant levels in their diets.

Eleven and a half years later…a pattern emerged.

The healthy women who ate the most antioxidants reduced their risk of stroke by 17 percent.

But the results were even more dramatic in the women with a history of heart disease and stroke. Those who ate the most antioxidants cut their risk of stroke by 45 percent. Even after researchers factored in exercise, smoking, and other behaviors that might affect the data.

The message is clear…

Sticking with an eating plan like my New Hamptons Health Miracle is the path to keeping your brain, your heart, and your whole body in optimal shape.

Pure and simple.