Mediterranean Diet May Lower Stroke Risk in Women, Study Finds

Researchers say the diet can reduce risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in women.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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A new study published in Neurology Open Access has found that women who closely follow a Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk of experiencing both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. The study, which followed over 105,000 women in California for 20.5 years, revealed that those with greater adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern had a lower overall risk of strokes, with the effect more pronounced for hemorrhagic strokes.

Why it matters

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, so these findings suggest that improving one's diet could significantly reduce the risk of this devastating condition, especially for women who have a higher lifetime risk of stroke compared to men. The study adds to the mounting evidence that a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet is critical for stroke prevention.

The details

The California Teachers Study that began in 1995 followed more than 105,000 women aged 38 to 67, examining their eating habits based on a detailed food questionnaire. After 20.5 years of follow-up, the researchers found that women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of all types of strokes. The inverse association was more pronounced for hemorrhagic strokes than ischemic strokes in the higher Mediterranean diet adherence categories.

  • The California Teachers Study began in 1995.
  • The study followed the women for 20.5 years.

The players

Sophia S. Wang

A study author from the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

Jinal Patel

A dietitian at Zynova Shalby Hospital in Mumbai, India, who discusses how the Mediterranean diet can help prevent stroke.

Pankaj Agarwal

The Director of Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical Care at Gleneagles Hospital Parel in Mumbai, India, who advises on the timeline for seeing benefits from the Mediterranean diet.

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What they’re saying

“Our findings support the mounting evidence that a healthy diet is critical to stroke prevention. We were especially interested to see that this finding applies to hemorrhagic stroke, as few large studies have looked at this type of stroke.”

— Sophia S. Wang, Study Author (Neurology Open Access)

“The Mediterranean diet will help to prevent a stroke due to olive oil, nuts, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish. These foods tend to help reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, and support healthy blood vessels.”

— Jinal Patel, Dietitian (The HealthSite)

“Along with the diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing stress are the need of the hour. Women can lower stroke risk by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, managing stress, and avoiding smoking.”

— Pankaj Agarwal, Director of Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical Care (The HealthSite)

What’s next

Researchers plan to further study the mechanisms behind the Mediterranean diet's protective effects against different stroke subtypes in order to identify new ways to prevent this devastating condition.

The takeaway

This study provides compelling evidence that adopting a Mediterranean-style diet rich in plant-based foods, healthy fats, and limited processed meats can significantly lower the risk of stroke in women, underscoring the importance of diet in cardiovascular health.