Older women who eat foods with high amounts of potassium are 12 percent less likely to have a stroke and 10 percent less likely to die than women who consume less potassium-rich foods, according to a recent study.

Previous studies have shown that potassium consumption may lower blood pressure. However, it wasn't clear whether potassium intake could prevent stroke or death.

"Our findings give women another reason to eat their fruits and vegetables," Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, senior author of the study, said in a statement. "Fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium, and potassium not only lowers postmenopausal women's risk of stroke, but also death."

For the study, researchers collected data from more than 90,000 postmenopausal women, ages 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. Women in the study were stroke-free at the start and their average dietary potassium intake was 2,611 mg/day. Results of this study are based on potassium from food, not supplements.

Based on their findings, researchers suggested that higher dietary potassium intake may be more beneficial before high blood pressure develops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that women eat at least 4,700 mg of potassium daily.

"Only 2.8 percent of women in our study met or exceeded this level. The World Health Organization's daily potassium recommendation for women is lower, at 3,510 mg or more. Still, only 16.6 percent of women we studied met or exceeded that," Wassertheil-Smoller said. "Our findings suggest that women need to eat more potassium-rich foods. You won't find high potassium in junk food. Some foods high in potassium include white and sweet potatoes, bananas and white beans."

While increasing potassium intake is probably a good idea for most older women, there are some people who have too much potassium in their blood, which can be dangerous to the heart. Wassertheil-Smoller recommends that people check with their doctor about how much potassium they should eat.

The findings were recently published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.