Quick Study

The question: Moms and nutritionists seem to agree: Eat those vegetables and fruit. For people who heed the advice and regularly include apples, bananas, spinach, beans and the like in their diets, does it make a difference? Specifically, does it affect their chances of having a stroke?

This study examined data from eight studies that tracked the diets and occurrence of stroke among 257,551 adults, followed for an average of 13 years. During that time, 4,917 of them had a stroke. Based on information given at the start of the studies, people who regularly ate three to five servings a day of fruit and vegetables were 11 percent less likely to have had a stroke than were those who had fewer than three servings a day. People whose diets routinely contained the most fruit and vegetables – five or more servings daily – were 26 percent less likely to have had a stroke than those who ate the least.

Who may be affected by these findings? All adults. The latest dietary guidelines from the government generally recommend eating two cups of fruit and 21/2 cups of vegetables a day, although the precise amount varies depending on individual caloric needs.

Caveats: The study did not determine whether certain vegetables or fruit may be better than others, relative to stroke prevention.

Find this study: Jan. 28 issue of The Lancet; abstract available online at www.thelancet.com.

Learn more about preventing a stroke at www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders; for more on the dietary guidelines, go to www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.