Eating three bananas a day could provide the body with enough potassium to cut the risk of stroke by about 21 percent, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers at the University of Warwick in the U.K. and the University of Naples in Italy analyzed data collected from 11 studies spanning almost 50 years.
They found that a daily dose of 1,600 mg of potassium — roughly the amount contained in three bananas — was enough to cut the risk of stroke by more than a fifth.
If consumers increased their potassium intake and lowered the amount of salt in their diet, the researchers predict that "it would translate into a reduction of as many as 1,155,000 stroke deaths a year on a worldwide scale."
The levels being suggested by the researchers are much lower than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily intake of 4,700 mg of potassium and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s recommended 3,500 mg, but still people are not getting enough of the mineral.
"Potassium intake in most countries is well below the recommended daily amount," noted the researchers.