A new study conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center has revealed a correlation between eating traditional Mediterranean foods and a lower risk of ischemic strokes – that is, strokes caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood in the brain. The study was conducted in order to analyze relationships between dietary habits and various health issues, including heart disease and mental degeneration.

Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, a neurologist at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, led a team in examining data acquired from over 104,000 people who took part in the long-term study. The participants were all female teachers from California, with an average age of 52. After adjusting for physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors, the study concluded that women who followed a Mediterranean diet plan had a noticeably lower stroke risk.

The Mediterranean diet that Sherzai recommended mostly consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry, whole grains, and a fair amount of olive oil. It reduces the consumption of sugar, dairy, red meat, and saturated fats. The members of the long-term study were split into five groups depending on how closely they followed the proscribed diet.

Strokes are a primary health concern both in the U.S. and across the globe. Treatments are frequently expensive, and taking preventative diet measures is one of the best ways to insure health. Last year, the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association recommended the Mediterranean diet to reduce the risk of stroke.

However, Sherzai’s findings indicated that one type of stroke cannot be influenced by altering dietary patterns. Hemorrhagic strokes, which constitute 20 percent of all cardiovascular incidents, occur when ruptured blood vessels in the brain lead to internal bleeding, and cannot be prevented by eating habits.

The study’s findings will be presented this year at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting in Nashville, TN.