Vegetables Lower Risk for Heart Disease

Consumption of one cup of leafy green vegetables a day lowers risk for heart disease, according to research published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers tracked nitrate-rich vegetable intake in participants from the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study and tracked heart disease incidence. Those who consumed the most nitrate-rich vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, and potatoes, had lower baseline blood pressure levels when compared to those who ate the least. Consuming one cup, or 59 mg/day, of nitrate-rich vegetables lowered heart disease risk by 15% and lowered risk for ischemic heart disease, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease hospitalizations by 12%, 15%, 17%, and 26%, respectively. Increased intake of nitric oxide from vegetables improves blood flow and may account for the protective effect of dietary nitrates.