Citrus and Stroke: The Key to Prevention

Citrus seems to have protective powers against strokes. And, strangely enough, a common symptom of a stroke is imagining that you smell oranges!

In a Men’s Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, citrus and citrus juices were major contributors to stroke-risk reduction. It’s estimated that drinking one glass of orange juice daily may lower the risk of stroke in healthy men by 25 percent. When it comes to stroke prevention, it’s very interesting to note that taking vitamin C as supplements does not appear to have the same benefits as drinking the juice or–better yet–eating the whole fruit. That’s yet another reason to rely on whole foods for optimal health.

This interesting finding about citrus and strokes also suggests that there must be some protective substances in citrus juices to account for their power to protect against strokes. The assumption at this point is that the answers lie in the power of the polyphenols within.

These findings from the stroke study do not in any way suggest that vitamin C supplements are entirely impotent. In another study, taking 350 to 400 milligrams a day of supplemental vitamin C for a period of at least 10 years seemed to be an effective means of lowering the risk of developing cataracts. But, clearly, adding citrus into your diet is “must-do” task for healthy living.