Therefore, the research seems to indicate that coffee and tea, in moderate amounts, can be beneficial for individuals after stroke.
In moderation, says UCLA neurologist Jeffrey L. Saver, caffeine intake is fine for patients who have suffered a stroke.
The increased stroke risk is seen among occasional coffee drinkers or those who drink one or fewer cups of coffee a day.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke.
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.
The 3 studies that were grouped as high-quality showed no association between coffee consumption and stroke incidence (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.01), while the remaining 6 studies grouped as low-quality demonstrated a prophylactic effect of coffee intake on stroke incidence (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.92).
The most rapid recovery usually occurs during the first three to four months after a stroke, but some survivors continue to recover well into the first and second year after their stroke. Some signs point to physical therapy.
Substances in coffee, such as antioxidants, may reduce your risk of stroke by lowering your blood pressure, your LDL cholesterol, and more. If you have high LDL cholesterol, opt for a brewing method that filters the coffee.
Research Highlights:
Stroke survivors who drank seven or more cups of green tea each day lowered their risks of multiple causes of death by 62%.
If you are a survivor of a stroke or heart attack, drinking coffee or green tea may help reduce your risk of death.
How Does a Stroke Impact Life Expectancy? Despite the likelihood of making a full recovery, life expectancy after stroke incidents can decrease. Unfortunately, researchers have observed a wide range of life expectancy changes in stroke patients, but the average reduction in lifespan is nine and a half years.
The initial recovery following stroke is most likely due to decreased swelling of brain tissue, removal of toxins from the brain, and improvement in the circulation of blood in the brain. Cells damaged, but not beyond repair, will begin to heal and function more normally.
Recovery time after a stroke is different for everyone—it can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people recover fully, but others have long-term or lifelong disabilities.
(10) Get enough potassium
Potassium is abundant in fruit, vegetables, and milk products. Therefore, if you consume recommended amounts of these food groups, you should achieve an adequate intake of potassium. Good fruit choices include bananas, apricots, oranges, cantaloupe, and apples.
Eating one serving of dark chocolate per day can increase brain cell growth. The compounds found in this food source repair cells and shield them from further damage. The cocoa powder in dark chocolate can give arterial function a significant boost and lower the risk of a recurrent stroke.
Importantly, compared with those who did not eat any chocolate, the people who ate more chocolate had an 11% lower risk of CVD and a 25% lower risk of associated death. They also had a 9% lower risk of hospital admission or death resulting from coronary heart disease and a 23% lower risk of stroke.
The Role of Sleep in Stroke Recovery
Quality sleep has many benefits, especially for stroke survivors. Getting a good night's sleep supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to restructure and create new neural connections in healthy parts of the brain, allowing stroke survivors to re-learn movements and functions.
Give yourself plenty of time to recover from your stroke. It can take many months before post-stroke fatigue starts to lift. Accepting that it takes time to improve can help you to cope better. Find out how much you can do in a day and stick to it.
Most cognitive functions will return with time and rehabilitation, but you may find they do not return to the way they were before. The damage a stroke causes to your brain also increases the risk of developing vascular dementia. This may happen immediately after a stroke or it may develop some time later.
Regarding the duration of fatigue after stroke, acute fatigue can last up to 6 months, whereas the chronic type can persist in 40% of patients after 2 years. Another study reported fatigue to be still present in one-third of patients up to 6 years after stroke onset.
Dehydration causes your blood to thicken, making flow to the brain difficult. When your blood tries to get through blocked blood vessels, a stroke can occur. Studies show that those who are well hydrated when they suffer a stroke have a greater chance of a better outcome.