Heart health improved with green vegetables

Consuming more green vegetables has been linked to up to a 40% reduced risk of heart disease or stroke, according to researchers from Edith Cowan University’s School of Medical and Health Sciences.

ECU researchers studied the association of nitrate intake from vegetables with atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) mortality in over 1000 Australian women aged 70–85 years. Over a period of 15 years, they evaluated their nitrate intake derived from vegetables using a food-frequency questionnaire.

They found that those with the highest intake of nitrate from vegetables had a significantly lower risk of ASVD mortality. Considering the inverse correlation, researchers determined that consuming vegetables containing high levels of nitrate may provide health benefits such as reduced risk of age-related ASVD mortality.

Nitrate is a compound that is naturally present in the environment and is essential for plant growth. This research built on a study conducted by PhD student Lauren Blekkenhorst, who found that leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and kale were the most nitrate-rich, followed by radish, beetroot and celery.

“People get roughly 80% of their average nitrate intake from vegetables so they are the primary source,” she said.

Blekkenhorst stated it is important to consume about 75 g per day or one cup of raw vegetables.

However, lead researcher Dr Catherine Bondonno noted the importance of the bacteria living in our mouths to reap these health rewards.

“The bacteria living on our tongue break down the nitrate that we eat into another compound called nitrite. Nitrite and other breakdown products play a key role in regulating our blood pressure,” she said. “This is the underlying mechanism that is resulting in the long-term improvements in heart health.”