Dietary Quick Fix

Many of us want a “quick fix” that will prevent us from having a stroke or heart disease. How about a quick fix that tastes great? According to Jouni Karppi’s study published in Neurology, we can eat tomatoes to our hearts’ content. About six servings of tomatoes a day can reduce the stroke rate for men by 55 percent. Servings can be found in ketchup, tomato juice and food cooked with canned tomatoes. Research shows canned tomatoes contain a higher concentrate of Lycopene (the antioxidant in tomatoes) that help prevent stroke and heart attack.

Dark chocolate is another food providing a quick fix to prevent heart attacks and strokes. You need to eat 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day to make a difference and you need to include those calories in your daily food intake. Like dark chocolate, red wine also has flavonoids to help reduce heart disease and stroke.

What a perfect meal! Tomatoes, basil, a little fresh mozzarella cheese, red wine and dark chocolate for dessert would make a meal that included many antioxidants. Plus, it tastes wonderful!

Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso and the National Cancer Institute of Milan and has been published in the Journal of Nutrition

Researcher Jouni Karppi, of the University of Eastern Finland Oct. 9, 2012 issue of the journal Neurology