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We all know that strokes become more common and more of a possibility as we age. It's also more common in men than women, however, women are more accountable for half of stroke deaths. No matter the statistics, we continue to find ways to keep ourselves as healthy as we can so to prevent the onset of a stroke. One way of doing so is lowering your blood pressure, as this is one of the best ways to keep yourself from experiencing a stroke. There are tons of great foods out there that actually help lower the risk of stroke that you should definitely be eating! Here are 13 foods that can lower the risk of stroke. 1. Oatmeal Wikimedia Commons One way to prevent stroke is lowering your 'bad' cholesterol levels, and one way to do this is by eating oatmeal! When high cholesterol starts causing a plaque build-up in your blood vessels, it increases the risk of ischemic stroke, which is the most common type. Oatmeal can help with this! 2. Salmon Pixabay A study has shown that eating fish, in general, three or more times a week can lower the risk of stroke by 6 to 12%. This is because the omega-3 fats in fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel reduce inflammation in the arteries. 3. Black beans Wikimedia Commons Black beans are another great food to cut the risk of stroke. Additionally, its a great source of fiber! 4. Sweet potatoes Marco Verch / Flickr Sweet potatoes are jam-packed with antioxidants to help prevent plaque build-up. Additionally, a half-cup serving of these awesome potatoes is packed with 1.8 grams of soluble fiber. 5. Blueberries Pxhere Antioxidants are also great for helping blood vessels to widen to keep the blood flowing properly. By aiming for at least 7-10 servings of fruit and veggies every day, you'll be staving off the risk of stroke in the healthiest way possible! 6. Low-fat milk Michel Curi / Flickr For those who are lactose intolerant, we're sorry. Dairy is jam-packed with calcium, magnesium, and potassium and all three of these things can help lower blood pressure and, in turn, help prevent against stroke. It's important to remember it's low-fat milk that causes these improvements due to its lower levels of saturated fat. Read onto the NEXT page for more stroke-fighting foods... 7. Bananas Free Stock Photos Speaking of potassium, eat more bananas! It's proven to lower blood pressure, even in those experiencing hypertension. 8. Pumpkin seeds WordRidden / Flickr Pumpkin seeds are full of magnesium, which as mentioned before, can help prevent stroke. Pumpkin itself is also packed with health benefits as well. 9. Kale Marco Verch / Flickr If you're a health nut, we have some good news for you! Kale is packed with magnesium as well, which keeps your heart healthy and stroke, out of sight. You can't go wrong with your greens. 10. Spinach Wikipedia Another leafy green that is incredibly good for heart health is spinach. Despite containing calcium, it also contains the B vitamin folate, which lowers the risk of stroke for people with high blood pressure. 11. Almonds Pixabay This beloved, crunchy snack can help lower your cholesterol by eating a handful of them every day. With one handful, you'll be consuming nine grams of monounsaturated fat to cut down bad cholesterol while upping the good. Additionally, they're a great source of vitamin E, which stops plaque build-up in your arteries. Eat more almonds! 12. Garlic Wikimedia Commons Raw garlic particularly can help fight blood clots. Additionally, while no one really wants to consume one or two full garlic cloves a day (because let's face it, they're very potent) consuming a garlicky hummus is a great way to get the garlic intake. 13. Dark chocolate Wikimedia Commons All the studies about dark chocolate having health benefits are correct. There's a high amount of cacao in dark chocolate that makes dark chocolate, in particular, a very powerful stroke-preventing agent. A study reported that people who ate three servings of chocolate per week saw a drop in stroke risk compared to people who didn’t eat any dark chocolate. Be sure to SHARE this article if you were surprised by any of these stroke-preventing foods!