02/02/2026
Strokes are among one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Much like heart attacks, most strokes occur when the plaques in our arteries rupture, cutting off the blood flow to parts of our brain.
Hesperetin, a phytonutrient primarily found in citrus fruits, may help improve blood flow and reduce our stroke risk.
High-fiber diets may help prevent strokes, too. Fiber is naturally found in only one place: whole plant foods. Processed foods have less fiber, and animal-based foods have no fiber at all.
Increasing fiber intake by just 7 grams a day may be associated with a 7 percent reduction in stroke risk.
To have meaningful differences in stroke prevention, however, we should try to get 25 grams a day of soluble fiber, which is found in beans, oats, nuts, and berries, and 47 grams a day of insoluble fiber, found primarily in whole grains.
That may seem like a lot of fiber, but when you follow a whole food, plant-based diet filled with beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, it can be easy to achieve.
Learn more on NutritionFacts.org:
Stroke topic page at https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/stroke/
“Keeping Your Hands Warm with Citrus” at http://bit.ly/2r0WOIa
“How to Prevent a Stroke” at https://bit.ly/2C6odia
PMIDs: 38493795, 21068346, 10517425, 22741166, 23317525, 23539529
