What are the medical and life style measures for preventing a stroke?

Diet

A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in salt and saturated fats may significantly lower the risk for a first ischemic stroke. (The protective effects of diet on a second Stroke are less clear.)

Fruits and Vegetables. Diets rich in fruits (particularly citrus) and vegetables (particularly those that are green, leafy or cruciferous, such as broccoli and kale) are particularly protective against a first ischemic and possibly Hemorrhagic stroke.

Foods such as apples and tea, which are high in food chemicals called flavonoids, may also be very beneficial. Foods high in potassium (bananas, oranges, and potatoes) may be particularly protective in people with high blood pressure.

Whole Grains. A 2000 study reported a lower incidence in stroke in women who had a high intake of whole-grain foods.

Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium serve as electrolytes in the body and may play a role in stroke:

A major 1999 study reported that calcium intake is associated with a lower risk for Stroke in women, which supports an earlier study reporting a lower risk for stroke in men who drank more milk.

Some evidence suggests that diets rich in potassium may protect against stroke, mostly by reducing blood pressure but also possibly because of other mechanisms. Low potassium levels may also increase the risk for stroke in certain people. In a 2000 study, potassium-poor diets were associated with a higher risk for stroke only in men with hypertension.

Magnesium deficiencies may increase the risk for Atrial Fibrillation. No evidence yet exists, however, that taking magnesium supplements is protective.

Fats and Oils. Although saturated fats, found in animal products, are known risk factors for heart disease, the effects of fats and oils on Stroke are less clear. In fact, some fat may be important for stroke protection:

• One study indicated that middle-aged men without heart disease who had the highest intake of monounsaturated or saturated fat (not polyunsaturated oils) also had the lowest risk for stroke. Monounsaturated oils, obtained in olive and canola oils, however, may have protective benefits against both heart disease and stroke.
  
• A fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid found in canola oil, soybeans, and walnuts, may have particular benefits against stroke by helping to prevent the formation of blood clots. (High amounts of saturated fats, found in animal products, are not recommended since they increase the risk for heart disease.)
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in certain oily fish and may be obtained in supplements, may reduce risks for ischemic stroke, Omega-3 fatty acids are further categorized as docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA). These compounds have anti-inflammatory and anti-blood clotting effects and may be significantly beneficial to the heart. Consuming fish two or three times a week, in any case, helps the heart and may also reduce the risk of stroke.