How to Prevent a Stroke – What to Do and What Not to Do

Stroke sufferers are getting younger, say researchers, and this is a serious concern. According to a study published in Neurology, the average age of a stroke sufferer fell from 71 in 1993-1994 to 69 in 2005. The scientists are offering several possible causes, each of which make sense and each are highly preventable. Bottom line: everyone should learn how to prevent a stroke.

Why You Need to Know How to Prevent a Stroke

The study looked at strokes between two periods, 1993-1994 and 2005. The incidence of stroke in people under the age 55 in 1993-1994 was about 13 percent – this compared to 19 percent of them being under the age of 55 in 2005.

Study author Brett Kissela of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine says that risk factors including diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol are likely to blame. Interestingly, all of these are preventable through diet and exercise.

As the obesity rates climb in this country and around the world, so do the disease rates. So, it should be no surprise that the age of people suffering from strokes are getting younger and younger, just as the number of young people with liver disease and type 2 diabetes similarly climbs.

So, what can be done? Start by eating more healthful foods and exercising. Treat your body as you would a high-dollar car– giving it the right fuel and enjoying its ability to go.

What to Do and What Not to Do

A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off. Keeping the vascular system healthy through exercise, and reducing inflammation and plaque deposits with a natural and holistic diet can do wonders in the prevention of stroke and heart disease.

Also, eliminate things from your life that are known to be related to increased risk of stroke. Eliminate:

• Aspirin – Those on daily aspirin regimens had a twofold increase in hemorrhagic brain strokes, which cripple and kill.
• Diet Soda – Researchers found that diet soda consumption was linked to a 44 percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke, up from the 22 percent non-soda drinkers have.
• Depression and Anti-depressants – “Women with a history of depression were 29 percent more likely to have a stroke during six years of follow-up, and this finding held even when researchers controlled for other factors known to increase stroke risk. What’s more, women who took antidepressants had a 39 percent increased risk of stroke,” Canada.

At the same time, you can boost your stroke resistance with things like:

• Chocolate – Want to know how to prevent a stroke? Have some chocolate. As reported in the Raw Story, men who ate a chocolate bar each week could lower their stroke risk by 17 percent. Every increase in consumption of 50 grams per week, further reduced risk of stroke by 14 percent, according to the study.
• Magnesium – Researchers evaluated seven studies previously published over the span of 14 years and found that for every addition of 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumed per day came a reduced risk of an ischemic stroke by 9 percent.
• Optimism – Optimism may be the key to stroke prevention in addition to improving overall health. Researchers pulled 6044 adults over 50 and asked them to rate their level of optimism based on a 16 point scale. When adjusted for age, each addition point on the optimism scale accounted for a 9 percent decrease in acute stroke risk.

We’ve become a society of reactionaries when it comes to our health, treating things as problems arise rather than avoiding the problems altogether. You could be like the majority of people who suffer from a stroke and be shocked when it occurs, thinking it could never happen to you. Or, you can take steps to prevent it through natural health and ensure it never happens to you. Implement these measures on how to prevent a stroke today and share the information with those around you.