Older people who use olive oil for cooking, in salad dressing or with bread may
be doing much to protect themselves against stroke, according to a French study of three
cities where researchers found seniors whose diet included a lot of olive had a
41% lower risk of stroke compared to those who had never consumed it. While the
researchers suggest their findings should prompt new dietary recommendations for
the over 65s, at least one expert neurologist cautions we should wait for
clinical studies to confirm them first.
Dr Cécilia Samieri, from the
University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research
(INSERM) in Bordeaux, France, is lead author of the study, which appears online
in the journal Neurology this week. She told the press their findings may
well prompt a change in the dietary recommendations for preventing strokes in
people aged 65 and over:
"Stroke is so common in older people and olive
oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it," she added.
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