Diet and stroke prevention

Eating foods that are high in fat, cholesterol, and salt can increase your risk of stroke. The following recommendations are among the most important for stroke prevention. In addition, ask members of your healthcare team for help in identifying additional foods to avoid and appropriate substitutes for them.

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• Avoid excess fat: Eating a lot of fat, particularly saturated fat and cholesterol, may contribute to atherosclerosis, which is associated with stroke. Dietary fat and cholesterol may be reduced by limiting the fat or oil added in cooking, trimming fat and skin from meats and poultry, using low-fat or nonfat dairy products, broiling and baking foods rather than frying them, and limiting the number of eggs eaten to no more than three a week. If cholesterol levels remain elevated then cholesterol lowering therapies, especially a group of medications called "statins,", are effective in reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack.
• Avoid excess sodium: Excess sodium in the diet is linked to hypertension. Table salt is a major source of dietary sodium. There is also "hidden" salt in most processed foods and canned foods, especially those with listed ingredients that include sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrate, and similar compounds. Try to eat fresh food whenever possible.
• Limit alcohol intake: Individuals who have more than two or three alcoholic beverages a day are at an increased risk of stroke. For heavy drinkers, the risk of stroke is even greater.