Suppose I told you that you might be able to head off a stroke simply by “color-coding” your fruit? You’d probably write me off as being a bit of kook, right?

Well, it turns out that the idea isn’t quite as kooky as you might think.

We already know that a diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables will lower your risk of having a stroke. But for the first time, a group of researchers in Holland looked at how specific color groups of fruits relate to a person’s stroke risk.

And what they found out was…frankly…fascinating.

The Dutch researchers examined the data from a population study of 20,069 heart-disease free adults with an average age of 41. They had the volunteers complete a 178-item food frequency questionnaire that categorized certain fruits and vegetables into four different color groups…

• (1) green, which included dark leafy vegetables, lettuces, and cabbages
• (2) orange/yellow, which included mostly citrus fruits
• (3) red/purple, which included mostly red vegetables and
• (4) white, which consisted of 55% apples and pears

During the 10-year follow up period 233 strokes were recorded in the volunteer group. But it’s when the scientists dove into the ten years worth of data that things really got interesting.

One “color-coded” group stood head and shoulders (hm…maybe that ought to be leaf and steam) above the rest. The researchers found that the risk of stroke was a stunning 52% lower for those volunteers who regularly chowed down on fruits and vegetables in the white group as compared to those who didn’t eat much of the light-colored produce.

In fact, they found that for every 25-gram per day increase in the amount of white fruits and vegetables that were eaten there was a corresponding drop of 9% for risk of stroke.

More research needs to be done to find out exactly what elements of the white fruits and veggies are responsible for the impressive protective effect the researchers saw, but we do already know that apples and pears are rich in several heart-healthy elements including a flavonoid called quercetin and dietary fiber.

The bottom line is that there’s really no reason to wait around for more research. You can start reaping the benefits of these findings right away simply by adding more apples, pears, cauliflower, bananas, chicory, and cucumbers to your meals.

Sorry potato lovers, spuds were NOT included on the list. But if you read my e-letter a couple of weeks back you already know that there are other good reasons to keep potatoes on the menu.

Oh, and of course be sure to continue to eat lots of good-for-you fruits and veggies from all of the other color groups as well.

Related articles of interest:

Fruit Compound Fights Aging, Cancer, & Diabetes

Compounds in Natural Fruits & Vegetables Lower Cancer Risk

Juicing: It’s the “Fast” Road to Health

Handful of Berries Lowers Blood Pressure & Risk of Heart Disease

When Did Organic Gardening Become a Crime?

Reference:

“Colors of Fruit and Vegetables and 10-Year Incidence of Stroke,” Stroke, 2011

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