Consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits, flavonoids from fruits, and stroke risk: a prospective cohort study.

We sought to examine the prospective associations of specific fruit consumption, in particular flavonoid-rich fruit (FRF) consumption, with the risk of stroke and subtypes of stroke in a Japanese population. A study followed a total of 39,843 men and 47,334 women aged 44-76 years, and free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer at baseline since 1995 and 1998 to the end of 2009 and 2012, respectively. Data on total and specific FRF consumption for each participant were obtained using a self-administrated food frequency questionnaire. The hazard ratios (HRs) of stroke in relation to total and specific FRF consumption were estimated through Cox proportional hazards regression models. During a median follow-up of 13.1 years, 4092 incident stroke cases (2557 cerebral infarctions and 1516 hemorrhagic strokes) were documented. After adjustment for age, body mass index, study area, lifestyles, dietary factors, and other risk factors, it was found that total FRF consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of stroke in women (HR= 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58-0.84), while the association in men was not significant (HR= 0.93; 95% CI, 0.79-1.09). As for specific FRFs, consumptions of citrus fruits, strawberries, and grapes were found associated with a lower stroke risk in women. Higher consumptions of FRFs, in particular citrus fruits, strawberries, and grapes, were associated with a lower risk of developing stroke in Japanese women.