Prevent a stroke by 9 A.M.

Talk about brain food: eating a vitamin C-packed breakfast could lower your risk of one of the most deadly types of strokes, finds a new French study.

The study compared 65 people who had an intracerebral hemorrhage—a type of stroke where a blood vessel ruptures in the brain—to 65 healthy adults. In general, people who suffered a hemorrhage had lower blood levels of vitamin C compared to the control group, whose C status was normal.

The researchers don’t say that lack of vitamin C can cause a stroke—it’s an association. But here’s why getting more C may help: it's a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent the buildup of plaque in arteries, too little C is linked with high blood pressure—a risk factor for a brain hemorrhage—and C builds collagen that helps support blood vessels, says study coauthor Dr Stéphane Vannier.

Since there isn't convincing evidence that vitamin C supplements lower disease risk, get C from foods, says Dr Vannier. People with the highest dietary vitamin C intake slashed their stroke risk by 19 per cent compared to those who got the lowest amounts, one 2013 meta-analysis from China found.

The recommended amount of C for guys is 90 milligrams (mg) per day—about the amount of one cup of sliced strawberries (98 mg) or 1.5 cups of chopped raw kale (120 mg).

However, there’s evidence that you might want to eat more C-rich foods. A recent Oregon State University report suggested that the quota should be increased to 200 mg of C daily in order to better help prevent heart disease, stroke, and cancer.