Reduce stroke risk

Anti-oxidants may reduce stroke risk

Increased intake of anti-oxidants may contribute to a lowering of the risk of stroke, say researchers from the Karolinksa Institutet in Sweden.

A new study published in the journal Stroke suggests a high anti-oxidant intake may reduce the risk of stroke by “inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation”.

The study set out to determine if there was a relationship between Total Anti-oxidant Content (TAC), a measure of the body’s anti-oxidant capacity, and stroke risk in patients with and without a history of cardiovascular disease. The study recruited more than 31,000 participants without heart disease and more than 5,000 with pre-existing heart disease.

The researchers then measured anti-oxidant capacity of the participants through the TAC measurement, a known measure to reduce disease-causing free-radicals in the system.

Researchers found that the group with the highest anti-oxidant intake and no pre-existing heart disease had a 17% lower risk of stroke compared to those in the lowest anti-oxidant intake group. The researchers also reported that participants with a history of heart disease and a moderately high anti-oxidant intake had up to 57% lower stroke risk.

While further studies are required to assess the association between anti-oxidant intake and the proposed health benefits, the researchers said their “findings suggest that dietary TAC is invcersely associated with total stroke…” Simply put, this means that increased intake of anti-oxidants is associated with a decrease in stroke in all trial participants.