Gaily Colored Fruits May Reduce Stroke Risk
 (HealthDayNews, 6/3/04)

When Dr. Jing Ma of Harvard Medical School and fellow researchers measured antioxidant levels in a group of blood samples taken at the start of the Physicians' Health Study, which has tracked more than 22,000 male doctors since 1982, the scientists determined that men with the lowest levels of three carotenoids—alpha carotene, beta carotene and lycopene—had the highest risk of ischemic stroke, which occurs when a clot obstructs blood flow to the brain. Carotenoids, found in colorful fruits and vegetables, are antioxidants that the body converts to vitamin A. These findings suggest that higher blood levels of carotenoids may reduce the risk of stroke.