Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have reported a new study in the journal Stroke regarding the importance of fruits and vegetables. The study shows that even for women who have a history of cardiovascular disease, consuming more fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of stroke.

The team identified 31,035 women free of cardiovascular disease and 5,680 others with a history of it from two counties, aged 49-83 years of age.

Fruits and vegetables are antioxidant-rich foods, which can inhibit oxidative stress. In the study, the women were polled using a food-frequency questionnaire to determine their total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Fruits and vegetables contributed to about half of the TAC in the women in the highest quintile. An inverse association between dietary TAC and stroke was observed.

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