Best Foods For Stroke

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Best foods for stroke

Omega-3s belong to essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. This means that they are not synthesized in the human body and must come from the environment with products containing these compounds in sufficient quantities. Thus, you can provide not only their daily need, but also fill the deficit.

The omega-3 class includes three types of fatty acids: linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic. All of them can be of plant and animal origin. Flax seeds contain the most linolenic acid. Sources of the other two acids are sea fish, salmon, tuna and sardines. The daily need for omega-3 acids is 1-2 grams, which depends on the general condition of the body and the diseases that a person has.

Therefore, the need for polyunsaturated fatty acids increases significantly under the following conditions:

1. General and local vascular atherosclerosis;
2. Hypertension;
3. Cerebral circulation disorders;
4. Ischemic heart disease;
5. Heart attack and stroke;
6. Alzheimer's disease and demyelinating diseases;
7. Oncopathology;
8. Hormonal deficiency;
9. Reduced ambient temperature;

Interesting experiments and research on the amazing benefits of omega 3 for stroke

The most important thing in terms of the body's need for lipids belongs to their balance. The current situation in this regard is that in our body there is constantly a striking imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 acids. For the normal course of metabolic processes, their ratio should be 2: 1. A disruption of this indicator towards higher omega-6 can lead to bad consequences, while omega-3 can eliminate them.

Content:

• Herring reduces the risk of stroke
• Vitamin E saves the brain after a stroke
• Chocolate saves you from a stroke
• Omega-3 rich foods

Herring reduces the risk of stroke

Stockholm scientists from the Karolinska Institute found that two or three times a week use of fish as a food product significantly reduces the risk of stroke and cerebral circulation disorders.

According to the authors of this work, such effects of fish products are possible due to their high content of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism by lowering the percentage of blood cholesterol, which is the basis of vascular lesions and arterial hypertension. This conclusion was obtained on the basis of 15 major studies that were carried out simultaneously in several countries of the world (Europe, China, Japan, USA).

The study involved about 400,000 people of different age groups (from 30 to 100 years old), and the experiment itself lasted for 30 years! The result of the experiment was the conclusions about the effect of fish on the general level of health. The results of the study showed the occurrence of a stroke in only 9400 people, which is significantly lower than world statistics.

There is an objective explanation for all these conclusions. The thing is that fish contains extremely important useful compounds. One of them is omega-3 fatty acids. It is they who protect the brain from stroke. Everyone can feel their benefits for themselves if they eat fish at least twice a week. So says Dr. Dariusz Mozaffarian, who is an assistant professor at one of the departments at Harvard Medical University. According to many scientists, fish dishes are also a powerful source of selenium and vitamin D, which are important micronutrients for patients with heart and vascular diseases.

It was found by Dariusz Mozaffarian that most omega-3 lipids are found in fatty fish. These include salmon and herring. Grilled tuna has also been shown to have a positive effect on maintaining a normal heart rate.

These data are confirmed by scientists from the American Heart Association. They are also convinced that cooking and eating fish dishes at least twice a week is enough to prevent stroke. For people living in the LIC countries, the most affordable fish product is herring, which can be the main focus as a source of omega-3 fatty acids for the body.

Vitamin E saves the brain after a stroke

In high doses, vitamin E is able to prevent the death of nerve cells in the acute period of stroke. Long-term intake of small doses of it prevents the development of this disease.

Such conclusions were made by scientists at the University of Ohio (USA), according to The Times of India.

According to the explanations of the authors of this study, the most common signs of stroke are numbness and weakness of the limbs, which are unilateral in nature, impaired coordination of movements, sudden pallor of the skin, speech disorders, nausea accompanied by dizziness, impaired swallowing, visual and oculomotor disorders. In this case, the stroke itself develops in just a few minutes or even seconds, as a result of impaired blood flow to the brain. It can be of both a primary acute character and form against the background of previous transient attacks of cerebrovascular accident.

Many scientists classify vitamin E as a remedy that reliably reduces the severity of the consequences of stroke brain damage. Vitamin E is able to reduce the risk of stroke and its complications due to the ability to block the release of enzymes responsible for the accumulation of toxic lipids and products of their peroxidation in nerve cells.

In an experiment on mice, it was possible to show that those neurons that received vitamin E for a long time contain 60% less oxidized fatty acids than in mice of the control group that were not exposed to tocopherol.

Vitamin E exists in nature in several forms. The most common is alpha-tocotrienol.

Sources of Vitamin E

A natural source of this substance is sea fish, any vegetable oils, soy-based products, milk, herbs, eggs, meat, liver. It is especially worth noting the benefits of palm oil alpha-tocotrienol, which is 70% represented by this substance. According to the standards of domestic medicine and many world countries, the daily requirement for vitamin E intake is about 10 mg.

Chocolate saves you from a stroke

Scientists from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm (Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm) conducted an interesting study, during which it was found that chocolate significantly reduces the risk of stroke, especially in females of all ages. About 30 thousand Swedish women were involved in the research, which was published on the pages of Reuters.

The first scientific developments on this topic appeared back in 1997. Then a group of scientists led by Suzanne Larsson began monitoring patients with the registration of data about them without taking into account the incidence of cardiac and vascular pathology. The age of the study participants ranged from 48 to 84. They regularly underwent a number of examinations, and also regularly while consuming a certain amount of chocolate. After 10 years, 1549 cases of stroke were reported. At the same time, a consistent pattern was noted: the more chocolate was consumed, the fewer women were exposed to stroke.

It has been established that a daily serving of chocolate should be 45 grams.

After reviewing this data, the University of California researchers set out to substantiate the observed effects of chocolate in preventing stroke brain damage. It was found that this effect is possible due to the high content of flavanoids in chocolate. Larrson herself said that these substances help to normalize blood pressure and strengthen the vessels of the cerebral and cardiac plexuses. To date, several large studies are planned that would provide even more information about this phenomenon and the ability of chocolate to influence the course of stroke.

According to Suzanne Larrson: “It is too early to say with certainty that it is chocolate that reduces the risk of stroke. Its benefits for the body have long been beyond doubt, but it should not be abused either, since its calorie content is quite high. The content of sugars, fats and their various compounds is also high. The preference should be given to regular dark chocolate, which contains much less sugar and cocoa than milk chocolate."

For persons at risk of developing a stroke, doctors recommend categorically to get away from smoking, not to be exposed to physical exertion and to strictly adhere to the dietary regime. It should be noted that chocolate is not included in any of the lists of drugs that inhibit the development of stroke.

Larrson has shown that drinking two cups of coffee a day significantly reduces the risk of stroke among women by 20-24%. The results of all conducted studies were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Omega-3 rich foods

These fatty acids belong to the building blocks of all cell membranes, as they are part of phospholipids. Most of all, this is true for brain cells, endocrine glands and heart. In addition, they have an inherent antioxidant effect. This means that omega-3s are able to neutralize toxic products of peroxidation and inactivate free radicals. This is the basis of their positive effect on the body. After all, they are able to protect healthy cells, repair damaged ones and prevent the development of their cancerous degeneration. These effects are especially well achieved by the correct combination of omega-3, omega-6 and vitamin D, which are contained in the optimal amount in a well-chosen diet.

Important to remember! Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are very unstable in the external environment, they are quickly destroyed by light, oxygen and heat.

To preserve their useful properties, it is necessary to keep them in conditions that exclude the action of the listed factors!

On the subject: Interesting experiments and research on the amazing benefits of omega 3

Omega-3 content in different products (in 100 grams):

1. Fish oil ~ 35 g (depends on the type of fish and the place of its catch);
2. Chia seeds 19 g;
3. Flaxseed 18.1 g;
4. Cod liver 15 g;
5. Rapeseed oil 10.3 g;
6. Olive oil 9 g;
7. Hemp seed 8.1 g;
8. Walnuts 6.8 g;
9. Mackerel 5.3 g;
10. Tuna 3.2 g;
11. Herring 3.1 g;
12. Trout 2.6 g;
13. Salmon 2.3 g;
14. Halibut 1.8 g;
15. Soybeans 1.6 g;
16. Oat embryos 1.4 g.

The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist

Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).