Like the princess and the pea, your body also notices the tiny green seeds. But in a good way. How? By getting stronger against strokes. That's because peas are chock-full of folate, a mighty B vitamin known to lower blood levels of a stroke-promoting compound.

Both natural folate and the synthetic kind (folic acid) found in supplements and fortified foods help lower homocysteine levels in the blood. That's a fine thing, because researchers suspect that too much of the substance might encourage "bad" cholesterol to oxidize and contribute to artery-blocking blood clots. 

Because the average diet falls far short of the recommended amount of folate, you should take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms. That will help ensure you reach the RealAge optimum dose of 700 micrograms per day.

As for folate-rich foods, peas are a good start -- but you can also stock up on asparagus, artichokes, avocados, bananas, and fortified cereals.

Source:  www.RealAge.com