A new review of worldwide research has shown that regularly eating fruits and vegetables can lower risk of stroke, according to WebMD.com.

Risk of stroke declined by 32% for every 200 grams of fruit that was eaten daily, and by 11% for every 200 grams of vegetables.

The research found that improving lifestyle and diet is very important for heart and stroke risk reduction for the public. The lead researcher on this study is Dr. Yan Qu, director of the intensive care unit at Qingdao Municipal Hospital in China, said in a news release provided by the American Heart Association.

Qu noted in a press release that a diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables is very important, because it meets our micronutrient and macronutrient requirements but does not add much to energy requirements.

Stroke currently is the fourth leading cause of death in the US, and a major reason for disability. In China, stroke is the #1 killer.

The research found that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to as much as 600 grams daily could reduce the rate of ischemic stroke, which is caused by blood clots, by almost 20% around the globe.

Study investigators looked at more than 20 separate studies over the last two decades that included almost 800,000 people in the US, Asia and Europe.

Lower stroke risk was seen in cases that were caused by blood clot or bleeding, and was consistent for both men and women and people in many aged groups.

The way the study was set up, it cannot conclusively show that fruits and vegetables directly caused the stroke decline. We only know that there is an association between consumption of these foods and lower risk of stroke.

Eating a lot of fruit and veggies also is associated with reduced hypertension, better blood vessel function and lower cholesterol.

We all should eat four to five servings of fruit and veggies each day for good health.

If you or someone close to you has had a stroke, we offer a variety of helpful and affordable products to make cooking and eating much easier.

Kitchen Products For Stroke Patients

RiJe Dysphagia Cup

Our RiJe Dysphagia Cup is wonderful for stroke patients who have swallowing disorders, or difficulty moving the head or neck. And to help with eating, try the Good Grips Utensil Strap, which aids eating for people who have weakness in one or both hands.