Can the Mediterranean diet help prevent a stroke?

Did you know, in the UK alone, someone will experience a stroke every 5 minutes?¹ This eye-opening statistic highlights the prevalence of strokes and why we all need to know more about prevention.

Firstly, what is a Stroke?

There are three types of strokes:²

Ischemic stroke
Haemorrhagic stroke
Transient ischemic stroke

Strokes can occur due to reduced or blocked blood flow within the brain. Or the rupture and bleeding of a blood vessel. If this happens, the brain can be damaged. In 85% of stroke cases, a blood vessel becomes blocked, and this is called an Ischemic stroke.³

Stroke symptoms may include:⁴

Weakness in an arm and/or leg
Weakness in one side of the face
Drooling
Slurred speech
Difficulties with balance and co-ordination
Dizziness
Numbness
Headache
Confusion

A stroke is a medical emergency. The quicker you act, the better! The FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) test is a well-known and useful tool to identify if an individual is having a stroke.

Risk factors can increase your likelihood of strokes. These factors include age, smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, various lifestyle choices, and genetics. Alongside these risk factors are certain health conditions that can also increase your risk. These include arterial fibrillation, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.⁵⁶⁷ Several of these conditions are referred to as metabolic disorders, which is linked to systemic inflammation.⁸

There are some general recommendations to prevent strokes. These include reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight.⁹

Can the Mediterranean diet help prevent Strokes?

Who doesn’t love the Mediterranean diet? Often associated with warmer weather and fresh, delicious foods. Mediterranean countries, including Greece, Italy, and Spain follow a version of the Mediterranean diet. It is a well-known diet that has been thoroughly studied for its numerous health benefits. Notably, it has been found to reduce the risk of stroke.¹⁰

The Mediterranean diet includes a variety of colourful foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, lentils, olive oil, fish, eggs, poultry, and dairy.¹¹ The diet is typically low in processed foods, processed meats, refined oils, and sugars.¹²

Let’s explore three key nutrients found in abundance in the Mediterranean Diet…

1. Omega 3’s

Omega 3 fatty acids, are essential fats. This means you need to consume them via your diet. These fats can be split into three types; ALA, EPA, and DHA.

Omega 3 rich foods include:

Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovy, sardines and herring.
Flaxseeds
Chia seeds
Walnuts

The Mediterranean Diet includes a variety of omega-3 sources. Omega 3 fats have numerous health benefits. Including brain health and anti-inflammatory effects. Did you know omega 3s have been found to increase nitric oxide, a vasodilator?¹³ This may be one way in which omega-3 fats reduce high blood pressure.¹⁴ Research also suggests that Omega-3 fats offer more protective benefits, including a reduction in vascular inflammation, improvement in endothelial function, and a reduction in blood lipids called triglycerides.¹⁵

2. Fibre

Fibre is an essential macronutrient. The Mediterranean diet contains ample amounts of fibre, thanks to its diverse range of plant foods. The recommended intake of Fibre in the UK is 30g per day.¹⁶ Unfortunately, many people follow a diet that is fibre-poor.

Fibre-rich foods include:

Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Beans
Lentils
Nuts
Seeds

Consuming 30g of fibre or more is crucial to your health. Fibre has been found to lower cardiovascular disease risk,¹⁷ with soluble fibre reducing cholesterol levels.¹⁸¹⁹ Fibre also feeds your gut microbes supporting the health of your gut microbiome, balancing blood sugar levels and supporting weight loss.²⁰ These beneficial effects of fibre help to reduce various stroke risk factors.

3. Probiotics

Foods like live yogurt, cheese and fermented olives are regularly enjoyed as part of the Mediterranean diet. These naturally fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which are well-known for their various health benefits.

Fermented foods include:

Kefir
Live yogurt
Fermented olives
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Kombucha
Miso
Tempeh

Probiotics are commonly consumed to support gut health, but their benefits far surpass the gut. The gut microbiome has been linked to many other systems in the body, like brain and heart health.

In one study, several blood markers were raised in stroke patients compared to healthy individuals. This included raised LDL cholesterol and an inflammation marker called hsCRP.²¹ Science shows probiotics and prebiotics can positively affect both blood markers.²² A study also found a reduction in the postbiotic acetic acid and a link with Ischemic stroke.²³ By increasing fermented and fibre-rich foods, you can boost postbiotic production! These important by-products have an anti-inflammatory effect, as well as many other important benefits.

For further information relating to this topic, you may find the following articles helpful:

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