Stroke Association comment on new research (Frontiers in Nutrition) on vegetables and risk of heart disease and stroke

Dr Richard Francis, Head of Research Stroke Association said: "This new research offers limited insights on how the amount of vegetables you eat may influence your risk of stroke. The findings suggest that eating a diet high in raw vegetables may lower your risk of dying or being hospitalised due to a stroke (over the next 12 years or so). However, when lifestyle and socioeconomic factors were accounted for, the links between reduced stroke risk and raw vegetable consumption were much weaker. The study also showed that there was no link between eating more cooked vegetables and lower risk of dying or being hospitalised due to a stroke"

“This study has a number of limitations. Participants were all living in the UK, mostly white and middle-aged. None of them had heart disease when they joined the study. Where you live, your ethnicity, age and whether you’ve had heart disease can all affect your risk of stroke. So more research with broader populations over a longer period is needed

“The links between eating vegetables and stroke risk are very complex — as shown by the conflicting results from this and other studies. What we do know is that high blood pressure is the biggest single risk factor for stroke. The best things you can do to keep your blood pressure healthy are to eat a balanced and healthy diet, exercise and stop smoking. Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is also key to making sure your heart is healthy. If you are worried about your risk of stroke talk to your GP, who can give you support and information.”