According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, (1999 Oct 6; 282(13):1233-1239), fruit and vegetable consumption helps to protect against stroke. The study looked at 75,596 women ages 34 to 59 and 36,683 men ages 40 to 75 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study. At the beginning of the study, all subjects were free of cardiovascular disease. There was a follow up at eight years for the men and at 14 years for the women. A total of 366 women and 204 men had an ischemic stroke. Those with the highest consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables had the lowest risk of stroke. An increment of 1 serving per day of fruits or vegetables was associated with a 6% lower risk of ischemic stroke.