A Cup a Day Keeps Heart Disease Away

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, taking around 17.9 million lives each year. Recent research from Edith Cowan University in Denmark reveals that eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables such as leafy greens and beetroot each day can significantly reduce risk of heart disease. The study examined data from 50,000 people over a 23-year period; those who ate the most nitrate-rich foods had a lower blood pressure and between 12 and 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,” says lead researcher Dr. Catherine Bondonno, adding that the study revealed participants also had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. The easiest way to get your greens? “Add a cup of spinach in a banana or berry smoothie,” suggests Bondonno, but she advises not to juice greens because “juicing vegetables removes the pulp and fiber.”