Are you one of those who recoils at the very mention of a diet or a structured eating pattern? You may still want to check out the Mediterranean diet. Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty's recent hospitalisation has brought ischemic cerebrovascular stroke of the brain into the conversation. The popular Mediterranean diet is being lauded by many as a dynamic preventive aid to this health affliction.
On World Health Day (April 7) Dr Shantesh Kaushik, a Senior Consultant and Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgeon, Apollo Hospital, elucidates on the much hyped Mediterranean diet and the role it can play in avoiding ischemic strokes of the brain.
The Mediterranean diet is based on the healthy food traditionally eaten by some of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea like Italy, Spain and, Greece. Dr Kaushik endorses the same, asserting, “The Mediterranean diet is among the most accepted diets shown to be effective in the long term in halting the deterioration of blood vessels, whether in the brain or the heart.”
To the layman, the connection between blood vessels and ischemic cerebrovascular stroke of the brain may not be instantly clear. The doctor explains, “When the blockage process affects the heart vessels, you get a heart attack. When it affects the brain vessels, you get a stroke. A cerebrovascular stroke means the brain arteries are blocked, which is causing restricted blood supply to parts of the brain.”
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There are two types of strokes: Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and major stroke. TIA is a reversible stroke, where a little blockage breaks off and gets caught in the arterial circuit. This causes a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain resulting in a slight loss of motor and sensory functions. Because of abundant flow in the neighbouring blood vessels, the blood flow returns to that part of the brain and recovery takes place.
Dr Kaushik warns, however, that early indicators should not be ignored. “The TIA is usually a precursor to a major stroke within three to six months. When a clot leads to the lack of blood supply to a part of the brain, it can result in half the body being paralysed which is called hemiparesis. Depending on how much and which part of the brain is damaged, the upper part of the body or the lower part or just the face is paralysed. Today, we doctors can remove the clot, restore the blood supply and reverse the stroke but it’s crucial that patient is rushed to the hospital within three hours of the stroke.”
Which leads to an important question: What can be done to prevent a stroke? “All the diseases of the blood vessels are completely preventable,” shares Dr. Kaushik. But that's where the good news stops. “Unfortunately, today, our lifestyle has become problematic. We don't follow the three basic rules — good diet, exercise and sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep increases inflammation in the body. The body records it as if you are at war. For example, how long can you use a cell phone without recharging it? Sleep is the only time the body is at rest and the cells can reboot. So, every person needs to three to four REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycles of sleep. And brain function is directly related to exercise,” he adds.
Diet, too, is an important part of preventing strokes and this is where Mediterranean diet comes in. Dr Kaushik elaborates on its fundamentals. “The Mediterranean diet stresses on eating an adequate number of fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and pulses. We should have at least three vegetables in a day and also four fruits. Fruits is where we fall short in our Indian diet. Multi-coloured fruit and berries are particularly good. So are tree nuts like almonds (six in a day) and walnuts. In non-vegetarian dishes, you can have white meat like fish or chicken. Red meat is negative because it increases your colon cancer risk; the saturated fat content in it is not good. The important aspect of this diet is the inclusion of food with Omega 3 fatty acid like fatty fish, chia seeds, flax seeds or olive oil. Avocado is a particularly good source of healthy fat.”
Point out that the Mediterranean diet sounds adjacent to a regular Indian diet, Dr Kaushik agrees, and says, “There is nothing difficult about this diet. It is the best diet. The other diets are variants of this. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet.”
The doctor breaks down how the diet works at the elementary level. “First, is the reduction of sodium. Sodium is the main cause of high blood pressure which directly impacts your risk of getting a stroke. Blockages and high blood pressure feed off each other. Preserved food has high sodium and high sugar to prevent deterioration,” he informs. “A diet that stresses on unprocessed food which is locally available and fresh is great because the more you process food, the more you distort its nutritive value and make it damaging to health.”
The other three ions, which lower our blood pressure are potassium, magnesium and calcium, and they are all incorporated into the Mediterranean diet. Dr Shantesh Kaushik concludes, “Potassium is obtained from fruits. Calcium has to be low fat, so a good source is reduced fat dairy products and soya products like tofu for vegans. And magnesium is obtained from nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and salads.”
Foods to eat
Veggies: Kale, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, onions, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, etc
Fruits: Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, dates, figs, etc
Nuts, seeds: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Legumes: Peas, beans, pulses, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas
Whole grains: Oats, rye, brown rice, barley, buckwheat
Fish and seafood: Salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, mackerel, oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, crab
Poultry: Chicken, turkey, duck, eggs
Dairy: Yogurt, cheese, milk
Herbs and spices: Garlic, mint, rosemary, basil, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper
Oils: Extra virgin olive oil and avacado oil
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