Vegetables help prevent artery hardening
New research suggests one reason vegetables may be so good for us – a study in mice found that a consumption of a mixture of five common vegetables reduced hardening of the arteries by 38% compared to animals eating a non-vegetable diet.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, used specially bred mice that rapidly develop atherosclerosis, the formation on blood vessel walls of fatty plaques that eventually protrude into the vessel’s opening and can reduce blood flow. The mice had elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, which is also a risk factor for atherosclerosis in humans.
Half of the mice in the study were fed a vegetable-free diet and half got 30% of their calories from a mixture of freeze-dried broccoli, green beans, corn, peas and carrots. These five vegetables are among the top-10 vegetables in the United States based on frequency of consumption.
After 16 weeks, the researchers measured two forms of cholesterol to estimate the extent of atherosclerosis. In mice that were fed the vegetable diet, researchers found that plaques in the vessel were 38% smaller than those in the mice fed vegetable-free diets. There were also modest improvements in body weight and cholesterol levels in the blood.
Although the pathways involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of hardening of the arteries and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Numerous studies in humans have shown that a high-vegetable diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as with reductions in blood pressure and increases in “good” cholesterol. This is believed to be the first study to address the effect of increased vegetable consumption on the development or progression of atherosclerosis.
Despite compelling evidence supporting the health benefits of increased vegetable consumption, intake remains low. The mean consumption is 3.2 servings per days, with about 40% coming from starchy vegetables such as potatoes.
