Leafy greens are an all-around nutrient powerhouse for better blood pressure and brain, eye, and immune health.
You’ve heard the five-a-day rule for vegetables. But did you know that a daily intake of only one-half to one cup of leafy greens improves heart health? If you prefer your food raw, one cup will do. Cooked? One-half cup cooked is all it takes to reduce your chances of getting heart disease. That’s pretty easy when you consider that heart disease is the number one killer of people globally, taking the lives of 17.9 million lives each year.
How do leafy greens improve heart health?
The key is dark leafy greens, like collards, kale, beetroot, and turnip greens, which are rich in a nutrient called nitrates. Nitrites in foods may reduce blood pressure and the risk reduction can be significant. Researchers looked at data from more than 50,000 people living in Denmark during a 23-year period. They found that people who consumed the most nitrate-rich vegetables had about a 2.5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and between 12-to-26 percent lower risk of heart disease.
“Our results have shown that by simply eating one cup of raw (or half a cup of cooked) nitrate-rich vegetables each day, people may be able to significantly reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher Dr Catherine Bondonno from ECU’s Institute for Nutrition Research. “The greatest reduction in risk was for peripheral artery disease (26 percent), a type of heart disease characterized by the narrowing of blood vessels of the legs; however, we also found people had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.”
Leafy greens contain other beneficial compounds, including vitamins K, A, and C, folate, manganese, calcium, and copper. These nutrients are important for bone, brain, and eyesight health.
Should you get vitamins from supplements or food for better heart health?
“Food first” is a foundational principle of naturopathic medicine. If your doctor says you need more, by all means supplement under advisement. In the case of this study, food delivered the benefits. The researchers found that eating more did not show any additional benefits in reducing heart disease risk.
For many, leafy greens (which can be bitter and peppery) fall at the bottom of the list for taste. Dr. Bondonno suggests blending a cup of spinach into a banana or berry smoothie. But skip the juicing, she notes. “Blending leafy greens is fine, but juicing vegetables removes the pulp and fiber.”
Lastly, some leafy greens (turnips, collards, cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula) are also cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower. Eating cruciferous vegetables regularly may lower your chances of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. A diet rich in cruciferous veggies is also linked with a lower risk for certain cancers, including colorectal, breast, bladder, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer.
