Postmenopausal women appear to be at greater risk for strokes if they eat a lot of trans fats, according to a study released on March 1st 2012 in the online journal "Annals of Neurology." However, the researchers found that taking aspirin may bring the risk down. Here at ThirdAge, we think you're better off avoiding the trans fats in the first place rather than trying to mitigate the damage by popping aspirin!
Earlier studies focused on heart attacks but the new research, done by Ka He, MD, ScD, MPH and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Global Public analyzed stroke data from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.
Trans fats are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as Crisco, so fried foods and baked goods are big offenders. Other culprits include packaged foods that need a long shelf life. Consider becoming an avid label reader before plunking products into your shopping cart. You'll be helping to protect your heart and lowering your stroke risk at the same time.
