From sodium nitrates, which can directly harm your blood vessels, to preservatives, salts and artificial sugars, these foods wreak havoc on the body.
Understanding Strokes
Before we delve into the unhealthy foods that increase stroke risk, a good understanding of what a stroke consists of is helpful when discussing mechanisms that could affect the rate of stroke for individuals – something that happens more than 700,000 times a year in America. Unfortunately, it is the third-leading cause of death as well.
There are two different types of strokes based on their methods of attack. Ischemic strokes are what we normally think of when discussing strokes. A blood clot either partially or totally blocks a blood vessel or artery that feeds the brain blood and nutrients. Brain cell dysfunction and death follows if there is no relief. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by weak spots or lesions on the walls of arteries or blood vessels. Under high blood pressure, these weak spots could blow out, causing a hemorrhage in the brain and compression of blood vessels and tissues.
If you or someone experiences the following symptoms, particularly with a sudden onset, get help immediately: headaches, confusion, trouble walking, numbness or weakness, especially on only one side of the body, and having trouble seeing. The swift onset of stroke signs is an important indicator to take heed. Call emergency personnel right away because every minute counts in a stroke and its treatment.
The Culprits
Smoked and processed meats are loaded with stuff that has been linked to strokes. Unfortunately, we are talking about pepperoni, hot dogs, sausages and bologna, some of America’s favorite toppings on pizzas and sandwiches. These processed meats have sodium nitrates and nitrites in them, which have been found to damage blood vessels by hardening or narrowing them. This, in turn, could increase the risk of strokes and certain cancers. In fact, one research group concluded that no one should eat processed meats for any reason. These meats have been associated with raising diabetes risk by 50 percent, lowering lung function and subsequently, increasing the risk of COPD – a respiratory disease.
If you need a sausage fix, try these tips. First, stick with 100 percent organically farmed, grass-fed or free-range beef. It should be uncured without nitrates. Don’t buy it if it has MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, coloring or preservatives. You don’t need all that in your food.
Think you're safe sticking with the so-called "healthier" deli meats like turkey? Think again – the prepackaged stuff in the refrigerated section of the grocery store also contains preservatives and nitrates. Make your sandwich a real hero by sticking with freshly sliced meats from the deli.
Trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils are found in processed foods like crackers, chips, store-produced baked goods and fried foods. Trans fats are known to promote inflammation – the hallmark of most serious and chronic diseases. In a study of trans fat consumption, it was discovered that women who ate the greatest amount of this fat in their daily diet had a 30 percent higher incidence of ischemic strokes. These fats increase LDL, or bad cholesterol, and decreases HDLs, or the good kind of cholesterol, in your blood. Want to know what contains trans fats? Hold onto your seat – margarine, stick butter, potato chips, doughnuts, muffins, snack foods, frozen French fries and tater tots, other frozen foods like entrees, cake mixes, whipped toppings, microwave popcorn and many salad dressings.
Diet soda is also a slippery culprit. The diet qualities are the selling point of these beverages, appealing to weight watchers and diabetics, but it may be the contentious part of the formula. In a study presented by the American Stroke Association, researchers wrote, "This study suggests that diet soda is not an optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages and may be associated with a greater risk of stroke, myocardial infarction or vascular death than regular soda."
These sweeteners, aspartame and sucralose, or Splenda, are thought to be dangerous to the public’s health but not enough to set off red-flag alarms. Aspartame is responsible for about 75 percent of all adverse reactions to food additives reported to the Federal Drug Agency.
As if sodium isn’t bad enough on its own, salt can be found in processed foods, packaged snacks, condiments, fried foods, baked store goods, canned soups and frozen entrees. Look for terms like “sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sodium nitrate,” all salt sources. Sneaky buggers.
Want a bonus fourth food that increases stroke risk? Let’s talk about red meat. Saturated fats in red meat grown under intensive mass farming methods cause a rise in stroke risk by clogging arteries with free-floating plaque buildup in the blood. But now, a new theory posits that hemoglobin, which gives red meat its high iron content, may pose a danger to humans. It is theorized that the heme iron consumed as a part of red meats may make the consumer’s blood thicker and more viscous, or stickier, increasing the chance of strokes.
So which came first, bad eating habits or the fast-food restaurant with its “iffy” offerings? Researchers have noted stroke risks seem to be linked to the number of fast-food restaurants in a certain area, like a neighborhood. A study of Texas neighborhoods with high numbers of fast-food restaurants found these neighborhoods had a 13 percent higher risk of ischemic strokes than neighborhoods with fewer fast-food joints. What is not known is whether fast food restaurants actually increase the risk of stroke because of its food offerings or if these restaurants are simply markers of unhealthy neighborhoods. Consider not just what you eat, but also your lifestyle, family history and other factors with your health care provider when assessing your risk of stroke.