A new study suggests that eating apples, pears, bananas or other fruits and vegetables with white flesh might help prevent you from developing a stroke.

According to the Dutch study, researchers looked at the associations between colour groups of produce and stroke for about 20,000 adults over 10 years.  The four colour groups for the fruits and vegetables included:

• Green: Dark leafy vegetables, cabbages and lettuce.
• Orange/yellow: Mostly citrus fruits.
• Red/purple: Mostly red vegetables.
• White: 55 per cent apples and pears; bananas, cauliflower and cucumber.

During the 10 years of followup, 233 strokes were recorded. The researchers found that the risk of stroke was lower among those who said they had a high intake of white fruits and vegetables compared with those with a low intake. 

Each 25 gram per day increase in white fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a 0.91 times lower risk of stroke. Apples and pears are high in dietary fibre and flavonoids, which have been associated with lower risk of stroke, the researchers said. However, critics say that the reduction in stroke risk may also be caused by the generally healthier lifestyle of those who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The study has been published in the online issue of the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.