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Though a stroke can happen at any age, your risk does increase as you get older.
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Try integrating these 16 foods into your daily diet to help prevent a stroke as you age.
“High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke,” she tells us.
And onestudyfound that consuming a higher intake of potassium was linked to a 24 percent risk reduction of stroke.
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Here are four foods that pack more potassium than one banana.
Avocados
Integrating moreguacamoleinto your diet may just help you decrease the chances of experiencing a stroke.
Not to mention, avocados are loaded in heart-healthy fatty acids that have been shown to decrease inflammation.
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“Keeping your cholesterol levels at desirable levels is recommended to decrease your risk for heart disease.
One cup of boiled Swiss chard lends 20 percent of your daily needs of the mineral.
Even more impressive is Swiss chard’s vitamin K content.
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This is more than double the amount a medium-sized banana provides!
Let’s say you were really hungry and ate a large potato instead.
That would get you one-third of your daily needs of the mineral.
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Here are four such foods that are chock-full of magnesium.
Cashews happen to be one of the top sources for magnesium, according to theNational Institutes of Health.
Luckily, cashews can truly enhance a recipe (we like them in amaple-cashew apple toast recipe).
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Spinach
We all know thatspinachis a healthy vegetable.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are another food that’s full of magnesium.
But that’s not the only notable nutrient it packs.
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According to astudyinNutrients, it’s very possible.
“Phytochemicals in dark chocolate can help to open blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.
Remember that dark chocolate can still contain added sugars, so be mindful with portion sizes.”
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When eaten in small amounts, dark chocolate can quite actually be a life-saver.
Lycopene
“Lycopene is a phytonutrient in the carotenoid family.
It, as well as the other carotenoids, have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory benefits,” says Chong.
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This antioxidant has been shown to reduce the chances of experiencing a stroke.
There’s a reason why sun-dried tomatoes are so chockfull of antioxidants and other nutrients.
Guava
About 100 grams of this tropical fruit contains 5.2 milligrams of lycopene.
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It adds a vibrant hue to a fruit-topped salad, so consider adding it to your office lunch!
Watermelon
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Watermelon is another lycopene-filled fruit.
(Couldn’t you guess by its pigment?)
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As we stated earlier, high blood pressure is correlated with stroke.
Pink Grapefruit
Grapefruit is also loaded in the antioxidant lycopene.
Not a tart fan?
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And research suggests that it’s best to consume fish versus takingsupplements.”
Flaxseeds are a good plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Walnuts, in particular, contain polyunsaturated fats, including alpha-linoleic acid," says Holley.
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“This key in of omega-3 fatty acid can help with inflammation.”
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