They can't prove conclusively that chocolate is what reduced participants' stroke risk. It's possible that people who eat more chocolate also have other healthy characteristics that help to prevent stroke.
Dark Chocolate. While recovering from a stroke, your parent doesn't have to avoid eating foods he or she likes, including sweet treats. However, you need to find healthy options, such as treats made with dark chocolate. Eating one serving of dark chocolate per day can increase brain cell growth.
Chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which may have a protective effect against stroke, but more research is needed. The first study found that 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who ate no chocolate.
Antioxidants in chocolate help clear plaque out of the arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease. Flavonoids found in chocolate may lower blood pressure and improve your blood flow overall. Dark chocolate has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol.
Cocoa has high levels of flavonols (e.g., epicatechin, catechin), which can cause antioxidant activity in the endothelium, vasodilation via increased nitrous oxide production, and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme, all of which may lower blood pressure.
Thus, eating bitter dark chocolate with at least 75% cocoa solids can help lower your blood pressure.
Chocolate is especially rich in flavanols like epicatechin and catechin, as well as anthocyanins and phenolic acids. All of these compounds help protect your cells from inflammation, improve your brain function, and boost your immune and cardiovascular health. Dark chocolate can also give you: Cardiovascular support.
Researchers say the polyphenols in dark chocolate can help the body form more nitric oxide, a compound that causes blood vessels to dilate and blood to flow more easily.
Foods high in potassium, such as sweet and white potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, prunes, melon and soybeans, can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure — the leading risk factor of stroke. Magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, are also linked to a lower risk of stroke.
Avocados (Oleic Acid)
This is an ideal nutrient to include in your diet after a stroke, especially if you struggle with cognitive difficulties. One food that is rich in oleic acid are avocados, which are also a great source of antioxidants.
To recap, your best choices are hydrating beverages that contain minimal calories, sugar or salt. Reach for water, coffee or tea most often. And keep a water bottle handy – the visual cue reminds you to keep sipping.
Porridge with milk: Eating warm porridges like oatmeal is an easier way for stroke patients to get grains than bread or rice. Soft scrambled eggs: Eggs contain protein and a variety of beneficial nutrients including choline, biotin, and vitamin B12, and scrambled eggs should be easy to eat.
There are no quick fixes for melting away plaque, but people can make key lifestyle changes to stop more of it accumulating and to improve their heart health. In serious cases, medical procedures or surgery can help to remove blockages from within the arteries.
Ginger, garlic and lemon detox drink – Boil ginger and garlic and strain. Squeeze the juice of one full lemon into it. This is strong detox drink to get rid of bad cholesterol and also flush out all toxins from the arteries.
Dark chocolate is considered chocolate that has > 60% cocoa (1). It contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants known to reduce the amount of pro-inflammatory molecules in the blood, increase HDL (“good” cholesterol) and lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels in the blood, and improve blood flow throughout the body.
When researchers did what's called a “cold pressor test,” where they plunge subjects' hands into buckets of ice water, they found that after dark chocolate consumption, arteries actually dilated when they're normally supposed to constrict.
Chocolate, tea, and dark green leafy vegetables contain oxalates. Oxalates impair the absorption of non-heme iron. Eat these foods separately from high iron foods.
Also, chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat. It is a high-energy (high calorie) food, and too much can result in excess weight, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Healthier sources of polyphenols include beans, pulses, fruit and vegetables.
What happens if you eat chocolate every day? Chocolate receives a lot of bad press because of its high fat and sugar content. Its consumption could be associated with acne, obesity, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
Compounds in dark chocolate boost memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain. What is this? The flavonoids in chocolate have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain in young and old alike.