Eat peanuts to prevent stroke?

Speaking of peanuts, what do you think of? It’s Mr.
Xu Dishan’s prose "Falling Peanuts", or various delicacies made of peanuts—fried peanuts, salted peanuts, boiled peanuts, peanut crisps.
.
.

Peanut, a common food in life, not only satisfies people's appetite, but is also good for health
.
Previous studies have shown that eating peanuts in moderation is associated with lower blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, or "bad" cholesterol) levels, and chronic inflammation, thereby helping to prevent cardiovascular disease

Recently, a study published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), added new evidence that eating peanuts is beneficial to cardiovascular health
.
Research results show that eating 4-5 peanuts a day is associated with a lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease

The first author of the study, Professor Satoyo Ikehara of Osaka University (Osaka University) in Japan, said: “Our study found for the first time in Asian populations that moderate consumption of peanuts is associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke.
However, the habit of eating peanuts and tree nuts is It is still not common
in Asian countries .
Adding a small amount of peanuts to the diet may be a simple and effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease

The researchers analyzed data from the Japanese JPHC study and included 74,793 subjects between the ages of 45 and 74, and 53.

At the beginning of the study, basic health information such as age, gender, height, and weight of the subjects were counted; family history and treatment history information of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes; and smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, including peanuts Information on the consumption and frequency of 138 kinds of food and beverages
.
In addition, information on the incidence of cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period was also collected

Statistics found that subjects who consumed a higher amount of peanuts tended to be younger, had a lower prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, did not smoke, and performed regular physical activity
.

During the average follow-up period of nearly 15 years, there were 3599 new strokes (1376 hemorrhagic strokes and 2223 ischemic strokes) and 849 ischemic heart diseases
.

After adjusting for other confounding factors, the study found that higher peanut consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, especially ischemic stroke
.

Compared with subjects who did not eat peanuts, subjects who ate 4-5 peanuts a day on average had a 16% reduction in stroke risk, a 20% reduction in ischemic stroke risk, and a 13% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk
.
There is no significant association between eating peanuts and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic heart disease

Researchers analyzed that peanuts contain a variety of substances beneficial to cardiovascular health, such as unsaturated fatty acids, especially monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help to improve blood lipids, lower blood pressure levels, control blood sugar, and inhibit inflammation , Thereby helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
.
In addition, other nutrients contained in peanuts, such as magnesium, dietary fiber, folic acid and vitamin E, may also play a beneficial role in reducing the risk of high blood pressure and stroke

Since this study is an observational study, it only shows the association between moderate consumption of peanuts and reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, but does not indicate a causal relationship
.
There are also some limitations in the study, including the amount of peanuts consumed depends on the subjects' memories; the processing method of peanuts is not considered, whether it is fried or boiled, with or without added sugar, etc.

The American Heart Association recommends eating unsalted nuts every week.
In addition to peanuts, other healthy nuts include unsalted cashews, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts
.
In the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)", it is also recommended to eat nuts in moderation as a beneficial supplement to the daily diet, and it is recommended to consume 50g-70g every week
.

The study finally emphasized that although peanuts are good for health, they should not be consumed in excess
.
Peanuts contain high oil, and excessive consumption will increase the risk of acne, obesity and other diseases
.
In addition, to prevent the occurrence of stroke, we cannot rely solely on eating peanuts
.

Stroke is a disease caused by multiple factors such as life>
.
Comprehensive management of modifiable factors, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart disease, smoking, alcohol intake, diet, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity, and psychological factors, can better prevent the occurrence of stroke
.

Specifically, in order to prevent the occurrence of stroke, the following aspects should be done in daily life:

Control blood pressure
.
Reduce blood pressure to less than 140/80 mm Hg through drugs and life>
.

Control blood sugar
.
Regularly check blood sugar, if necessary, test glycosylated hemoglobin or do a glucose tolerance test, identify diabetes or pre-diabetes state early, and treat it in time; diabetic patients should change their unhealthy life>
.

Control blood lipids
.
Men over the age of 40 and postmenopausal women should have blood lipids checked every year; people at high risk of stroke can be tested for blood lipids regularly (3-6 months); follow the medical staff's recommendations and take medicines to control blood lipids on time
.

Prevent heart disease
.
It is recommended that adults have regular physical examinations to detect heart disease in time; if they suspect that they have heart disease, they should consult a doctor for confirmation and treatment in time
.

Quit smoking
.
Smokers should quit smoking through psychological counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, oral smoking cessation drugs, etc.
; non-smokers should also avoid passive smoking
.

Do not drink alcohol
.
People who drink alcohol should stop drinking; there is currently no sufficient evidence that small amounts of alcohol can reduce the risk of stroke, so it is best not to drink alcohol
.

Healthy eating
.
Diversified diets, and reasonable intake of energy and nutrients; increase the intake of whole grains, beans, potatoes, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, reduce the intake of saturated fat and trans fat; reduce the intake of sodium, Increase the intake of potassium, and the daily intake of salt should not exceed 6g
.

Lose weight
.
People who are overweight and obese should reduce their weight through healthy life>
.

Exercise regularly
.
It is recommended to perform aerobic exercises of at least 30 minutes each time, no less than 150 minutes per week, moderate or above intensity (heart rate of 120 beats/min or more during exercise), such as brisk walking, jogging, riding Cycling, swimming, and other items, supplemented by muscle strengthening (resistance) training; people whose daily work is mainly meditation, it is recommended to sit for a short period of time (2-3 minutes) for every hour of physical activity
.

Maintain mental health
.
Carry out stress management, relieve excessive work and life pressure, maintain a happy mood, reduce negative emotions, and if necessary, use psychotherapy combined with medication to relieve anxiety and depression
.

Interstroke research from 32 countries shows that 90.
7% of strokes worldwide are related to the above 10 interventionable risk factors; in China, the above 10 interventionable risk factors are related to 94.
3% of stroke occurrences
.
If people can do the above measures in daily life, it will greatly reduce the occurrence of stroke and promote the improvement of health
.