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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingYou can significantly reduce your risk of stroke by changing what you eat.
Eating more fruits and veggies is always a good idea. Now we know that when it comes to reducing your risk of stroke, it's a really great idea.
The more fruits and veggies you eat, the better off your brain will be. Researchers analyzed data on nearly a quarter million people. They compared people who ate a little fruit and veggies, to those who ate a lot.
Those who had three to five servings a day had an eleven percent reduction in stroke risk. Those who ate more than five servings a day - twenty-six percent.
But what's a serving? Think "fist," or what you can hold in the bowl of your hand. If it's a dark leafy green - like a salad green - you'll want to double the size.
What's in the fruits and veggies that reduce the risk? It's not just the vitamins: Fruits and veggies contain many compounds, including antioxidants such as vitamin C, folate, potassium, phytochemicals, dietary fiber and plant proteins. This kind of combination is believed to provide the benefits. It's really not something you can just buy in a pill.
