RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS PA—Follow this diet, do that exercise, eat this vegetable…sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the options we have for staying healthy. Now there’s evidence that easy-to-understand, tried-and-true lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your health. A huge new British study underscores the results of an American study published last year: Abstain from smoking, exercise regularly, drink alcohol minimally, and eat a healthful diet filled with fruits and veggies, you’ll slash your risk of suffering a stroke in half. And that’s just the beginning.
THE DETAILS: Researchers from the University of East Anglia in Britain surveyed more than 20,000 men and women, ages 40 to 79, who were first surveyed in the early 1990s as part of the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer. For this study, every participant scored 1 point for each of 4 healthful behaviors—1) currently nonsmoking, 2) physically active, 3) moderate drinking (no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, on average) and 4) eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A combination of all 4 healthful behaviors predicted more than a twofold difference in the incidence of stroke in both the men and the women, compared to people who didn’t follow any of them.
WHAT IT MEANS: Daily, healthy behavior adds up to keep you safe—and you don’t have to be an obsessed health nut to benefit. The British study authors concede that the 4 healthful behaviors they tracked, as defined for this study, were “relatively modest and…achievable.” (To be considered active, for example, study participants only needed to avoid being utterly sedentary.) In a large Harvard study published last year that used more stringent parameters (like exercising at moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day), participants were 69 percent less likely to have a stroke than participants who didn’t lead as healthful a lifestyle—meaning that their stroke risk was cut more than in half. The beauty part: These same healthful behaviors were associated with an 80 percent reduction in risk of heart disease and a 90 percent lower risk of diabetes.
Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., director of the Duke Stroke Center in Durham, NC, suggests following these recommendations to cut your risk of stroke—and more—in half:
• Don’t smoke. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system in many ways.
• Eat a healthful diet. Diets high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels, says the AHA. Diets high in sodium can contribute to increased blood pressure. And diets with excess calories can contribute to obesity—all of which can increase your risk of stroke and other diseases. Eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day leaves less room to fill up on unhealthy food, and can reduce your risk of stroke. Remember that organic produce has a lighter environmental footprint, and won’t expose you to health-threatening pesticides.
• Be active for 30 minutes a day, every day. Being inactive, obese, or both can raise your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and, of course, stroke. Can’t get to the gym? Go for a brisk 10-minute walk 3 times a day (use the walks to get things done, such as walking the dog or completing errands). Thirty minutes total is your goal; it doesn’t have to be continuous. If you’re trying to lose weight, add to your daily exercise routine so you get more than 250 minutes a week.
• Drink moderately. The Harvard study defined “moderately” as no more than one drink a day for nonpregnant women and no more than two drinks a day for men. The AHA echoes this recommendation.
• Maintain a healthy weight. This goal will naturally follow from the previous three, if you apply yourself to those.