Here’s an article titled Fruit, Veggie Eaters Have Fewer Strokes.

The opening line of the story is:

The reasons aren’t well understood, but it is increasingly clear that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a good way to lower your stroke risk.

There are probably multiple mechanisms at work here. First, when you’re eating fruits and vegetables, you aren’t eating Twinkies and potato chips. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the fewer displacing foods you’re going to eat, displacing foods being empty processed calories that “displace” more healthful foods. Second, who wants to bet that people that eat more fruits and vegetables live all-around healthier lives? They are probably less likely to smoke, less likely to drink to excess, and more likely to get some form of exercise. Finally, we may not understand the reason completely because we are unaware of all of the vitamins and minerals and their synergies within the produce.

We also see this unfortunate contradiction in the article. The subtitle is “Low Vitamin C Levels Linked to Stroke Risk,” while the text gives the truth:

The findings do not prove that it is the vitamin C in fruits and vegetables that is protective, the researchers note.

And most studies have found that taking vitamin C and other antioxidant vitamin supplements is of no benefit for lowering stroke risk.

Exactly! Now tell the media folk to stop making asinine statements that someone just skimming is going to jump on. It sounds from the subtitle that you can just up your dose of vitamin C and be A-OK.

Anyway, eat your fruits and veggies to save your brain.


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