An orange a day could keep stroke away

Eating foods that contain vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of haemorrhagic stroke, says a study. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. Haemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but is more often deadly. The study involved 65 people who had experienced an intra-cerebral haemorrhagic stroke, or a blood vessel rupture inside the brain. They were compared to 65 healthy people.

Participants were tested for the levels of vitamin C in their blood. Forty-one percent of cases had normal levels of vitamin C, 45 percent showed depleted levels of vitamin C and 14 percent were considered deficient of the vitamin. On average, the people who had a stroke had depleted levels of vitamin C, while those who had not had a stroke had normal levels of the vitamin. (Read: What really causes stroke and dementia? Massive hunt on to find out)

'Our results show that vitamin C deficiency should be considered a risk factor for this severe type of stroke, as were high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and being overweight in our study,' said study author St phane Vannier with Pontchaillou University Hospital in Rennes, France. Vannier added that vitamin C appeared to have other benefits like creating collagen, a protein found in bones, skin and tissues. (Read: Could you be at risk of dying from a stroke?)

Vitamin C deficiency has also been linked to heart disease. The study is scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia April 26. (Read: Can exercise reduce stroke risk in women?)

Symptoms of stroke

Some of the signs and symptoms associated with stroke are:

1. Numbness
2. Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
3. Sudden confusion
4. Severe headache
5. Trouble in speaking, understanding, seeing and walking
6. Dizziness or loss of balance

If you see a person acting abnormally, use the FAST test to find out if it's a stroke. (Read: Stroke causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention)

1. F (Facial weakness) See if the person can smile and notice if his eyes or face are drooping to one side.
2. A (Arm weakness) See if the person can move and raise his/her arms.
3. S (Speech difficulty) See if the person can speak properly without slurring his/her words.
4. T (Time to act) With stroke, time is of paramount importance. Call an ambulance if you notice these symptoms. (Read: Would you recognize a stroke if you saw someone having one?)

With inputs from IANS

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