Some leafy green vegetables are high in nitrate, such as beet. A study finds a connection between daily consumption of a cup of these vegetables, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart disease.
Research from the New Edith Cowan University (ECU) found that people can significantly reduce their risk for heart disease. They just have to eat one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables every day.
The study examined whether those who eat more nitrate-rich vegetables, such as beetroot, regularly had lower blood pressure. It was further examined that those same individuals were less susceptible to heart disease being diagnosed years later.
The number one cause of death worldwide is a cardiovascular disease that takes approximately 17.9 million lives per year.
Spinach, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and parsley are green leafy vegetables high in nitrates. Radishes, fennels, and beets are non-leafy vegetables with a high nitrate content.
Scientists estimate that cooking decreases the nitrate content of vegetables by around 50%. They said that this is still enough for cardiac health.
Detailed Research
Researchers examined over 23 years of data from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study. This research contained over 50,000 people residing in Denmark.
Research has reported that those who consume green vegetables daily have a 12% to 26% lower risk of heart disease. Researchers have observed 2.5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure in those individuals.
The ECU’s Institute for Nutrition Research Chief Research Dr. Catherine Bondonno stated that it is a priority to identify diets for the prevention of heart disease.
The study found that the optimum quantity of vegetables rich in nitrate was a cup per day. Researcher has reported that who consumed more than a cup seemed not to be of benefit.
Dr. Bondonno said hacks like a cup of spinach in a banana or a berry smoothie could be a good means of supplementing our daily leafy greens.
