In our earlier article we have written about types of stroke and how they occur. Several factors plays critical rules towards a stroke. Here we have included 8 proven ways to reduce risk of stroke naturally.
Proven ways to reduce risk of stroke naturally
Lower High Blood pressure
High blood pressure damages the inner line of blood vessel and forces the heart to pump blood continuously than the necessary. Inflammation occurs at the damage section of blood vessel and thus attract fatty deposition in artery wall causing narrowing artery. Over time constant blood pressure also cause aneurysm which is a condition of formation of bulge in a section of blood vessel. Rupture of such bulge can cause life threatening internal bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke. Overall high blood pressure contributes to higher risk of stroke, heart failure, sudden cardiac death and some other critical health complications.(1)
You should avoid or limit your intake of sodium salt, added sugar or sugary processed food, processed food, damage and processed fats, refined carbohydrates, high temperature refined vegetable oils. Include in diet fruits & vegetables, omega 3 non plant based fatty acid, foods that contain magnesium, potassium. Be physically active, maintain body weight and manage stress. Adding 2-3 bulbs of garlic on daily basis helps to maintain blood pressure.
We have also written about high blood pressure cause and prevention.
Control high blood sugar
Diabetes and high blood sugar may lead to many health complicacies including insulin resistance, disturbed body metabolism, vascular complication and more. Avoid added sugar, food with high glycemic index, simple carbohydrates, cow milk and other allergen. We have also written about sugar effects in the body and alternative of added or artificial sugar. Read the label before purchasing any process food or ready made food. If you are a diabetic patient you should also consult with a health care professional. We will come out later about reversing diabetes in a natural way in a separate article.
Lower stress
Chronic stress relates with hormonal dysfunction and other risk factors including high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and more. Chronic stress over all affects your vascular functions, nervous system and can impair your body’s ability to regulate inflammatory response.
Practice of yoga, meditation, listening music of joy/peace can help you to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and give you peace of mind. Regular physical exercises also can help you to drain stress. We all are in work stress, with more or less negative impact in life. Converting negativity to challenge may give you positive aspect in life and thus help you to lower stress of negativity. Interaction with friends, travelling etc also helps to manage stress level.
Quit smoking or second hand smoke and avoid or limit alcohol consumption
Circulatory system of the body absorbs nicotine the product of smoking which injures the arterial endothelium or inner lining of artery. This impairs release of nitric oxide by endothelium cells of artery. Nitric oxide synthesis of endothelium cells plays a critical rule in health of artery and normal circulation of blood.
Such condition leads free radical formation and inflammation to the artery. And thus it further leads to oxidation of LDL cholesterol and promotes development of atherosclerosis i.e. deposition of fatty and other substance inside the artery.(2)
Which further promote in narrowing and hardening of artery and loss of elasticity of artery. If blood cot forms it may block blood circulation which further may lead to heart attack or Ischemic stroke.
Second hand smoking is more reactive.
Many people found it difficult to quit smoking. You may read – Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking as a guide for quit smoking. I have added this book due to the fact that there are many positive reviews from customer and as one of the best seller.
One adverse effect of alcohol consumption is raising blood pressure which is a major risk factor of hemorrhagic stroke.(3)
Limit exposure to toxins/pollutants
Toxins can affects your body in a beyond imagination way. Toxins i.e. environmental chemicals, pollutants, heavy metal such as lead, mercury, aluminium or other compound, toxins from foods, chemicals that are foreigner to the body. It may simply pass out from your body or may found storage in your tissues/organs and can cause harmful reactions. Such reactions create inflammation inside the body. Toxins may cause inflammation, can damage your cells, tissues, organs & create oxidative stress leading to many health complications inside the body and cause premature aging, cause DNA mutation.
Some drug including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, cardiac glycosides and tricyclic antidepressants also can cause cardiovascular toxicity. (4)
By limiting your exposure to environmental toxin, food toxins, chemicals, you can lower your risk.
Improve cholesterol level
Cholesterol has numerous functions inside the body. High or imbalance cholesterol level is a symptoms rather than a cause. Dietary cholesterol is not significantly related with serum or blood cholesterol. You liver makes the major percentage of cholesterol in response to the condition of the body.
Apart from many other functions, the body also uses cholesterol to repair and heal wound. Your body will make more cholesterol if you are under chronic inflammation, under continuous uncontrolled stress. You should avoid factors which creates chronic inflammatory condition inside your body. You should avoid or limit consumption of trans fat, hydrogenated fat or oil, processed and refined food, food with gluten, added sugar. Include food containing fiber, vitamin E, C and beta carotene. (You can read more about cholesterol and best cholesterol lowering food)
Build a healthy eating habit
As mentioned before avoid or limit consumption of trans fat, hydrogenated fat or oil, damage or rancid fat, processed and refined food, food with gluten, added sugar. Include whole food source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients in diet. We will come in later article about fat and oil and uses, at this stage remember that smoke point of oil plays a critical rule. You should choose oil with high smoke point for cooking. Go organic and avoid GMO as far as possible. Food having antioxidant profile such as vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene prevents production of reactive oxygen spices and free radical damage. You can read more about this here. Drink chemical free water and sleep properly.
Exercise and physical activeness
Exercise improves Metabolic Syndrome i.e. obesity, cholesterol, high blood pressure and helps to control blood sugar level. It also improves blood circulation and helps in loosing excessive weight. A good combination of regular aerobic and strength training reduce risk of heart attack and stroke and gives other benefits as well. However if you have any complicacy in health or are in other specific health condition, you should discuss with a health professional first.
Release of nitric oxide by endothelial cells i.e. cells of inner lining of blood vessels plays a very critical rule in health of blood vessel. It keeps moisten lining of blood vessel which improves health of blood vessels and circulation and prevent plaque formation or atherosclerosis.(5) You can check Dr. Mercola’s three minutes nitric oxide release workout with this link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZgqVkXC57o
Bottom line: If you have family history of stroke, consult with healthcare professional. Healthy lifestyle and physical activeness helps to reduce risk of stroke naturally in many ways. This is a generalized information about proven ways to reduce risk of stroke naturally.
Source and reference:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868
- http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1358836×9800300105
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314325.php
- HK Ruben Thanacoody, W Stephen Waring: Toxins that affect the cardiovascular system, Clin Med (Lond). 2008 Feb;8(1):92-5
- whoisollierelfe.com: How Nitric Oxide can prevent or reverse heart disease
