Elderly women who eat more vegetables may be less likely to develop hardening of the arteries, an Australian study suggests. Researchers surveyed 954 women aged 70 and older. They also used ultrasound to assess the thickness of the walls of the carotid artery in the neck, and the extent of plaque accumulation. Thinner artery walls and less plaque buildup are associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Compared to women who had less two servings of vegetables a day, women who consumed at least three servings daily had carotid artery walls that were about 0.036 millimeters, or 5 percent, less thick, researchers found. With three servings of vegetables, maximum artery thickness was 0.047 millimeters lower, they report in the Journal of the American Heart Association. In addition, each daily 10-gram (or about a third of an ounce) increase in consumption of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage was associated with 0.8 percent lower average artery wall thickness. "We were excited to find out that intake of cruciferous vegetables seemed to be the most beneficial," said lead study author Lauren Blekkenhorst, a nutrition researcher at the University of Western Australia in Crawley. "However, this does not discount the importance of other vegetable types, as we know increasing a variety of all vegetables is important to maintain good health," Blekkenhorst said by email. "Our research suggests that recommendations to include a couple of servings of cruciferous vegetables amongst the recommended amount of vegetables may help to optimize the vascular health benefits."
Less than one in 10 people consume the minimum recommended five servings of vegetables a day, Blekkenhorst added. The women in the study were no exception. Food questionnaires asked women to describe their typical vegetable intake in a range from "never eating vegetables" to consuming them "three or more times a day."
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