New York, Sep 5 (IANS): Older women who eat foods with higher quantities of potassium may be at lower risk of stroke and death than women who consume less potassium-rich foods, new research shows.

During the study, women who ate the most potassium were 12 percent less likely to suffer stroke in general and 16 percent less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke than women who ate the least.

Also, women who ate the most potassium were 10 percent less likely to die than those who ate the least.

"Previous studies have shown that potassium consumption may lower blood pressure. Our findings give women another reason to eat their fruits and vegetables," said Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, distinguished university professor emerita from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

Researchers studied 90,137 post-menopausal women, aged 50 to 79, for an average 11 years.

They looked at how much potassium the women consumed, as well as if they had strokes, including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, or died during the study period.

Researchers suggested that higher dietary potassium intake may be more beneficial before high blood pressure develops.

"You will not find high potassium in junk food. Some foods high in potassium include white and sweet potatoes, bananas and white beans. "People should check with their doctor about how much potassium they should eat," Wassertheil-Smoller noted.

The study appeared in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.