Antioxidants for preventing stroke in women

A diet rich in antioxidants is associated with a lower likelihood of stroke in women, regardless of whether there was a prior history of cardiovascular disease, according ensures research published in Stroke .

"The consumption of foods rich in antioxidants may reduce the risk of stroke by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation," says Susanne Rautiainen, Karolinska Institute (Sweden). "This means that you should eat more foods like fruits and vegetables, which contribute to the antioxidant capacity . "

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between production of free radicals that damage cells and the body's ability to neutralize them. This causes inflammation, blood vessel damage and stiffness.

Inhibit inflammation

Some antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids and flavonoids may inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress from free radicals generated. Antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, can also help to improve endothelial function and reduce blood clot formation, blood pressure and inflammation.

The researchers collected data on diet through a food frequency questionnaire. The researchers classified the women according to their levels of antioxidants and took into account the history of cardiovascular disease.

The main results of the study showed that higher intake of antioxidants lower rates of stroke in women without cardiovascular disease . "Women with higher intake of antioxidants also appear to be more health conscious and follow the kind of healthy behaviors that may have influenced our results," acknowledges Rautiainen. "However, the observed association between antioxidant intake and stroke persisted after adjustment for potential confounding factors related to healthy behavior such as smoking, physical activity and education."

The researchers used the Swedish Mammography Cohort to identify 31,035 women with no history of cardiovascular disease and 5680 with a history of heart disease. The women were between 49-83 years of age.