New study gives clues to beating stroke
Around 450 people are forced into NSW hospitals every month after suffering strokes.
Alarmingly, the figures are rising sharply and strokes can occur regardless of age, weight or fitness.
But new research suggests you may be able to protect yourself with a very basic piece of fruit.
One in six of us will have a stroke in our lifetime – that is 1000 every week and 142 a day.
We have long been told an apple a day keeps the doctor away - but an eight-year British study claims it is in fact a banana a day which keeps the stroke at bay as it is a rich source of potassium.
Those without it in their diet are one-and-a-half times more likely to have a stroke.
Richard Lindley, of the Stroke Foundation, said: “The main reasons why foods high in potassium can help are that they lower blood pressure and it is all about how the body handles salts.
A poor diet is certainly a contributor to triggering a stroke.
It is expected the number of victims will almost double to 709,000 by 2030 as the population ages.
