The #1 nutrient for reducing stroke risk, according to dietitians

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The #1 nutrient for reducing stroke risk, according to dietitians

Key Points

• Diet and lifestyle habits can impact stroke risk. Fiber may be especially important.
• Fiber helps lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and support healthy blood sugar.
• Include fiber by adding beans, fruits, whole grains and vegetables to your diet.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. That adds up to nearly 795,000 strokes each year, making stroke prevention an important public health priority. While some genetic factors are beyond our control, healthy lifestyle habits, including what we eat and how we move, can help support cardiovascular health and potentially lower stroke risk.

One simple place to start? Adding more dietary fiber to your diet. “Dietary fiber is particularly interesting because it can support several aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic health at the same time,” says Patricia Bannan, M.S., RDN. “Research has consistently linked higher dietary fiber intake with a lower risk of stroke.”, Here’s why dietitians recommend prioritizing this important nutrient for stroke prevention, plus simple ways to add more fiber to your daily routine.

Why Fiber Is So Important

“Fiber deserves much more credit than simply being the nutrient that helps keep us regular”, writes Dani Lebovitz, M.S., RDN. Here’s why higher fiber intakes help reduce stroke and support heart health.

It Helps Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for stroke, so taking proactive steps to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range is an important part of stroke prevention., Regular physical activity can help, and so can getting enough dietary fiber.,

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“Fiber can support blood pressure through the microbiome,” says Lebovitz. “Some fibers are fermented by the bacteria in our gut and produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids may help regulate blood pressure and support how our blood vessels function.”

As interest in the gut-heart connection continues to grow, researchers are uncovering more ways fiber may influence blood pressure. One recent study explored whether fiber could affect how much sodium is absorbed into the bloodstream, potentially offering another pathway through which fiber may support healthy blood pressure. Since excess sodium intake is common and can contribute to elevated blood pressure, this emerging area of research is particularly interesting.

While more research is needed to better understand these connections, there’s little downside to adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet. Along with supporting gut health, fiber can contribute to several aspects of cardiovascular health, including healthy blood pressure levels.

It Improves Cholesterol Levels

Blood cholesterol levels are closely tied to heart health and stroke risk, particularly LDL cholesterol, often referred to as “bad” cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol levels are too high, cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of blood vessels, contributing to plaque buildup that can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

Getting enough dietary fiber can help support healthier cholesterol levels. “Certain types of soluble fiber, found in foods such as oats, avocados, beans, apples and citrus, can help lower LDL cholesterol by reducing the absorption and reabsorption of cholesterol and bile acids in the digestive tract,” says Bannan.,

One example you may have heard about is beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber found in oats and barley. Lebovitz explains, “Soluble fibers, like beta-glucan, form a gel in the gut that helps carry bile acids (which our bodies use to digest fat) out of the body. The liver then pulls cholesterol from the blood to make more bile, which can help lower LDL cholesterol over time.”

It Supports Balanced Blood Sugar

Keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy range is another important part of reducing stroke risk. Having consistently high blood sugar can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and diabetes is an established risk factor for stroke. Prioritizing more dietary fiber is an easy way to support both blood sugar management and cardiovascular health. 

“Fiber slows digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates, which can help promote steadier blood sugar levels and better glycemic control,” says Bannan. Research supports the benefits of choosing higher-fiber carbohydrate sources for blood sugar management, suggesting that carbohydrate quality may matter more than simply cutting carbohydrates. Foods like beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables provide carbohydrates along with fiber and other important nutrients, making them smart additions to a balanced diet.

Getting 35 grams of fiber per day is linked with a 10 to 48 percent lower risk of premature death among people with diabetes, reinforcing why this often-overlooked nutrient deserves a regular spot on your plate.

Ways to Include Fiber In Your Diet

Trendy fiber supplements may be taking over your social media feeds, but dietitians encourage you to take a food-first approach to meet your daily fiber needs, which range between 25 to 38 grams per day. Lebovitz shares, “Getting more fiber doesn’t mean completely changing the way you eat. It might look like adding berries to the cereal you already love, tossing beans into taco night, choosing a whole-grain bread, or adding some nuts to your afternoon snack.”

Here are a few quick ideas to seamlessly add 4 or more grams of fiber into your everyday meals and snacks:

• ½ cup beans added to a wrap = 6 grams fiber
• ½ cup canned artichoke hearts on a salad = 4 grams fiber
• ½ cup raspberries on top of Greek yogurt = 4 grams fiber
• 1 ounce air-popped popcorn = 4 grams fiber

Other Tips to Reduce Stroke Risk

In addition to adding more fiber to your daily routine, nutrition experts recommend these lifestyle habits to help lower your risk of stroke. Rather than trying to change everything at once, start with one or two habits that feel manageable and build from there. Taking a gradual approach can make healthy changes feel more sustainable and more likely to stick.

• Get your blood pressure checked. High blood pressure has relatively no symptoms, yet can have a big impact on your risk for stroke. Knowing your numbers is an important step in stroke risk reduction, notes Bannan. 
• Move regularly. Find a form of physical activity you enjoy and will do daily to support a healthy heart. This in turn will help support weight management, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, reducing your risk for stroke.
• Avoid smoking and tobacco use. The American Heart Association recommends quitting smoking and tobacco use for stroke prevention., Seeking help from a medical professional may be warranted if you’ve tried before and couldn’t stick with it. 
• Eat a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins are consistently recommended on a heart-healthy diet aimed to reduce the risk of stroke., Focus on adding more of these foods to your plate, gradually making swaps to increase the nutrient density of your meals. 

Our Expert Take

Stroke prevention starts by taking a proactive stance, focusing on small diet and lifestyle changes for better heart health. One such change involves adding more dietary fiber into your regular routine. Experts note this small change can have a positive impact on reducing risk factors for stroke, like lowering blood pressure, balancing blood sugars, and reducing LDL cholesterol. And, the best part is you don’t have to be perfect to see a big impact. Lebovitz writes, “Stroke prevention isn’t about living a perfectly healthy lifestyle. A really active week or a week of less-than-perfect meals doesn’t determine our health. It’s the patterns and routines we build over time, alongside appropriate medical care, that matter most.”

Read the original article on EatingWell