Ignore produce at your own peril; another halo for fruits and veggies

The superhero cape continues to look good on fresh produce.

Fresh medical research indicates that fruits and vegetables are among foods that can lower stroke risk.
Medical News Today reports on the study.

The researchers found that  a higher intake of either fruit, vegetables, fiber, milk, cheese, or yogurt was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke but not with that of hemorrhagic stroke.  For every additional 200 grams (g) of fruit and vegetables that a person consumed each day, the relative risk of ischemic stroke was 13% lower, the study found; for  each 10 g/day of total dietary fiber, the relative risk was 23% lower.

The report said  researchers found citrus fruits, hard fruits (such as apples and pears), bananas, fruiting vegetables, and root vegetables lowered the risk, but that leafy vegetables and cabbages did not.

Find the research abstract at the European Heart Journal. Study authors offered a look at the “why” behind the benefits of fruits and vegetables in reducing stroke:

"Existing prospective evidence generally shows an inverse association between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of total and ischaemic stroke. Given the strong inverse association of fibre with total and ischaemic stroke observed in the current study and in previous studies, as described below, the association between fruit and vegetables and stroke risk might be partly driven by their fibre content. It has also been suggested that fruit and vegetables could be beneficial because they provide various micronutrients including potassium and folate."

Consumer media coverage is found at insider.com with the headline "Oatmeal, apples, and cheese could help protect you from a stroke, but too many eggs may have the opposite effect"

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Speaking of health and well being, I looked at Google Trends and explored the coronavirus search questions for the past 90 days. More and more Google searches are asking about the coronavirus in the U.S.

Check out the CDC global map on the spread of the virus here and another more dynamic live-tracker map from Johns Hopkins.