Eat Apples and Pears to Prevent Strokes

Not all fruits are created equal. Some are tastier and more vibrantly-colored while others, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, are just plain better at keeping stroke at bay. Do you know which fruits may lower your risk of having a stroke?

Luckily for you guys, these fruits are not so hard to come by. The 10-year study, conducted on 20,000 men and women aged 20 to 65, found that eating pale-fleshed produce like apples and pears might have something to do with having a healthier heart.

For one decade, researchers observed their subjects who were, at the beginning of the study healthy and free of cardiovascular disease. These researchers were particularly keen on tallying the kind and number of fruits and vegetables the participants ate and even categorized them by color: green, red/purple, and white.

During the run of the study, 233 cases of stroke were listed. Strangely enough, there appeared to be no clear evidence that brightly-colored fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of stroke. However, the study revealed that those who consumed 171 grams (akin to one medium apple) of pale-fleshed fruits every day were 52 percent less likely to have experienced stroke than those who consumed less than 78 grams of it. To simplify matters, taking in 25 grams of white fruit per day reduces your risk of having a stroke by 9 percent.

Although fruits rich in fiber (enter apples and pears) have been known to contribute to better cardiovascular health, there is still no real explanation as to why white-colored produce have such a significant impact on reducing the risk of getting a stroke. Until the same dramatic results are replicated, researchers cannot actively recommend anything more specific.

It still stands, though, that eating fruits and vegetables is good for your health, so instead of binging on chips and other unhealthy snacks, why don’t you add a little bit more fruit or vegetable into your diet? After all, they do say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.