Stroke is a general term in traditional Chinese medicine for acute cerebrovascular diseases. It is a type of disease characterized by sudden fainting, unconsciousness, accompanied by deviation of the mouth and eyes, impaired speech, or hemiplegia. The peak incidence of stroke is in November and December every year. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people, especially those with hypertension and obesity, should take effective measures to prevent stroke when the weather turns cold. Diet is also an important factor in preventing stroke. In daily life, in order to prevent stroke, the following principles should be followed when choosing food.
(1) Potassium Supplementation
Potassium is one of the important elements needed by the human body. It plays a role in maintaining cell osmotic pressure, normal excitability of nerves and muscles, and participating in myocardial contraction, relaxation, and energy metabolism. People with potassium deficiency are more prone to stroke. Potatoes are rich in potassium. There have been reports that eating a potato every day can reduce the risk of stroke by 60%. Soybeans, green beans, black beans, red beans, and mung beans also have high potassium content and should be eaten regularly.
(2) Magnesium Supplementation
Calcium and magnesium are inseparable brothers and also antagonistic rivals. Calcium can promote myocardial contraction and enhance the excitability of nerves and muscles, while magnesium can counteract the effects of calcium and maintain the balance of calcium inside and outside brain cells, thereby protecting the brain. Once the ratio of calcium to magnesium is imbalanced, it is easy to trigger stroke. Eating foods such as corn, tomatoes, and kelp can supplement rich magnesium, which helps prevent stroke.
(3) Vitamin Supplementation
Vitamin C and vitamin E play an important role in preventing stroke. Both of these vitamins have strong antioxidant effects. Vitamin C can protect the integrity of the vascular endothelial system and prevent thrombosis and bleeding. Vitamin E can antioxidant and prevent harmful substances from damaging cerebral blood vessels, maintain vascular elasticity, and prevent stroke. Eating vegetables, fruits, and corn oil regularly is beneficial.
(4) Cholesterol Reduction
High blood lipids can cause arterial sclerosis and blockage, which is one of the risk factors for stroke. Therefore, it is necessary to eat foods that reduce blood lipids regularly, such as onions, kelp, cabbage, and deep-sea fish oil. Drinking vinegar and tea appropriately is also beneficial.
(5) Blood Pressure Reduction
Hypertension is also one of the risk factors for stroke, and it is a more dangerous factor. Hypertension can directly cause hemorrhagic stroke and indirectly cause thrombotic stroke. Therefore, it is very important to lower blood pressure and keep it stable. Eating celery, olive oil, radish, etc. can help.
(6) Reducing Blood Viscosity
Increased blood viscosity in blood vessels leads to slow blood flow, which is prone to blockage, thrombosis, and stroke. Therefore, reducing blood viscosity is an important aspect of preventing and treating stroke. For this purpose, eating more black fungus, leeks, lettuce, etc. is recommended.
