Authors

Renaud SC.

Institution

INSERM, Unit 330, University Bordeaux 2, 146 Rue Leo Saigant, 33076

Title

Diet and stroke. [Review] [48 refs]

Source

Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. 5(3):167-72, 2001.

Abstract

In industrialized countries, stroke is the most frequent life-threatening

neurological disorder. The mortality trend for stroke appears to be

similar to that of coronary heart disease (CHD) in different countries.

Thus the dietary changes that protect from CHD, may also protect from

stroke. The purpose of the present paper is not to review exhaustively the

associations between foodstuffs and stroke. It is rather to emphasize a

few important relationships that may be conducive to efficient

recommendations in Public Health. The intake of saturated fat, considered

as the main environmental factor for CHD, does not appear to be also

closely related to stroke. It has even been observed in the Framingham

prospective study, that saturated fats were associated with a protective

effect on stroke. The multivariate analysis of the ecological study

reported in the present paper suggests that the villain for stroke could

be the high intake of linoleic acid, the main polyunsaturated fatty acid

prescribed through the world, to most of the CHD patients. Observation and

intervention studies suggest that the fatty acid with the most efficient

protective effect on stroke is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) as for CHD

clinical manifestations. Also similarly to CHD, fruit, vegetables and

folic acid, may have important protective effect on stroke. Finally, at

very moderate intake, alcohol may be related to a similar lowering on the

risk of stroke as on that of CHD. Nevertheless alcohol, at high intake for

intoxication (binge drinking) has been associated with up to a 10 fold

increased in the risk of stroke. Finally, the diet recommendations

suggested by the present analysis are similar to those used in the Lyon

Diet Heart Study and in Finland, in the last 20 years. In both of these

intervention studies mortality from CHD, cancer and stroke have been

markedly reduced by more than 50 %. [References: 48]