Heart disease is on the rise and has become the leading cause of death globally. Lifestyle factors, especially diet, play a crucial role in preventing these diseases. What you eat has a significant impact on heart health. A new study has found that eating certain vegetables can protect the heart and also prevent chronic disease. A new study led by researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU), the University of Western Australia, and the Danish Cancer Institute found that eating a cup and a half of these veggies can significantly improve heart health. The findings are published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Veggies for the heart
The vegetables in question are the leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli. The researchers found that a cup and a half of leafy green vegetables could go a long way to addressing atherosclerotic vascular diseases (ASVDs). What is ASVD
Atherosclerotic vascular diseases are a subgroup of cardiovascular disease, which are currently the leading causes of death worldwide, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes. In Australia, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) claim the life of one person every 12 minutes, ECU PhD student Ms Montana Dupuy noted. Greens can go a long way The study led by Ms Dupuy has found that leafy greens could reduce the risk of ASVD, due to its Vitamin K1 content. “Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, like spinach, kale and broccoli, contain Vitamin K1, which may assist in preventing vascular calcification processes that characterise cardiovascular disease. The great news is that these vegetables can be easily incorporated into your daily meals,” she said, in a statement. Along with its potential benefits on improving vascular health, Vitamin K may also improve musculoskeletal health through its impact on bone strength. What a cup and a half of veggies can do
ECU Senior Research Fellow Dr Marc Sim confirmed that a cup and a half of such vegetables is an easy way to increase our daily vitamin K intake and may lower our risk for cardiovascular disease.“This research found that women who consumed approximately 30% higher intakes of Vitamin K1 than currently recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines had a lower long-term risk of ASVD. Of importance, when we examined the blood vessels in the neck, those with a higher Vitamin K1 intake also had less thickening of these blood vessels, a marker of atherosclerosis,” he said. The researchers looked at the impact of Vitamin K on vascular health, as well as musculoskeletal health.
“This research has provided key evidence to support our future studies. We are now creating new foods that pack more leafy greens that are rich in Vitamin K1. These novel foods can be used in communities with special nutritional and dietary requirements, such as aged care residents. We are consolidating all our epidemiological data and converting that into a tangible product that would benefit the community,” ECU Post Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Liezhou Zhong added.
So if you want to keep your heart in good shape, eat a cup and a half of leafy greens and cruciferous veggies.