Mediterranean Diet May Help Lower Risk Of A Stroke !

The Mediterranean diet, which has been recommended for heart disease sufferers , may have an additional benefit if your family is genetically pre-disposed to suffering from strokes.People with two copies of a specific gene variant were less likely to suffer a stroke if they ate a diet mainly consisting of olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and fish. Their stroke susceptibility became the same as that of individuals with no copies of the mutation, or just one.

The Stroke Association estimates around 150,000 people in Britain suffer from strokes each year, and although most are over 65, they can happen at any age from babies upwards.

The Cleveland Clinic in the US advises that to reduce the risk of a stroke, cutting back on alcohol, salt and sugar and maintaining your weight is key. The TCF7L2 gene has previously been strongly linked to type 2 diabetes but not heart and artery disease. Scientists studied more than 7,000 Spanish men and women who ate either a Mediterranean or normal low-fat diet for almost five years.

The TCF7L2 gene has previously been implicated in glucose metabolism and the variant observed in the study is strongly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.

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