4 Vegetables to Help Reduce Heart Disease Risk, According to a Cardiologist

Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD

Key Points

• All vegetables are good for your heart, but some stand out thanks to their nutrients.

• Nitrates, sulforaphane and fiber are three compounds known to help heart health.

• Help keep your heart healthy by moving and eating less saturated fat and sodium.

Your diet plays a big role in supporting heart health, including lowering your risk of heart disease—and vegetables are a key component of a heart-healthy diet.

“Vegetables are loaded with fiber, which has a positive effect on lowering LDL cholesterol—the ‘bad’ cholesterol,” says cardiologist Marschall Runge, M.D., Ph.D. “They contain a variety of vitamins and antioxidants that combat inflammation and, overall, reduce damage to your arteries and heart.”

Any vegetable you eat has nutritious components to support overall health, but certain vegetables may have a slight edge when it comes to supporting heart health. Here are four vegetables that a cardiologist recommends for lowering your risk of heart disease.

1. Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in fiber, which has a number of potentially positive effects on heart health. Research shows that fiber may lower inflammation, which is a key risk factor for heart disease. Fiber may also support healthy blood pressure levels. Additionally, fiber is filling, which can help with weight management. In turn, that can support heart health. Broccoli also contains many different antioxidants, including sulforaphane. “Sulforaphane is a little-known but potent compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that has very positive protective actions against the development of cardiovascular diseases,” Runge says. Eating foods that contain sulforaphane may combat oxidative stress and inflammation, which could lower heart disease risk.

Looking for ideas for eating more broccoli? Runge recommends roasting it in a small amount of olive oil, or adding it to soups and salads.

2. Kale

Like other cruciferous vegetables, kale contains sulforaphane and other compounds with antioxidant properties, which may lower inflammation. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, which “has a potentially very important role in preventing calcification of arteries in the heart and elsewhere,” Runge explains.

Additionally, kale contains fiber and potassium, both of which may support healthy blood pressure.

If you don’t love eating kale on its own, try blending it into smoothies. It’s also a great ingredient to add to your fall soups and salads.

3. Beets

Along with being a good source of fiber and antioxidants, beets are high in dietary nitrates, which makes them fit well into a heart-healthy diet. Your body converts the nitrates in beets to nitric oxide. This relaxes blood vessels and may even modestly lower blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for heart disease.

“Beets can be prepared like sweet potatoes, without adding sugar or butter, and are naturally sweet,” Runge says. Or try whipping up a simple beet, chickpea and broccoli salad. A breakfast grain bowl with kale would be a great way to start your day.

4. Legumes

Legumes like chickpeas, lentils and beans are a great plant-based food (and yes, they can count toward your vegetable intake) for supporting heart health.

“Legumes are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber and are a great substitution for animal-based protein that is high in fat,” Runge says.

Curious about adding more legumes to your diet? Make your own hummus using a can of chickpeas or prepare a cozy kale and white bean soup or lentil soup.

Other Tips for Reducing Heart Disease Risk

Vegetables are just one piece of the puzzle when you’re looking to lower your risk of heart disease. Many other habits can support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels to help keep your heart healthy.

• Eat nutritious foods, and know that no diet is perfect. Research shows that eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and other minimally processed foods, while limiting excess sodium and highly processed options, lowers the risk of heart disease. “Focus on nourishing and heart-healthy foods you enjoy and can eat regularly and remember,” Runge says. “It is the principles that are important, not perfection.”

• Make exercise a regular part of your day. Aim for two and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Consistency is key, but this doesn’t mean you have to stick with a rigid or difficult routine. “Walking or other low-impact exercise works quite well,” Runge says.

• Replace highly processed and high-sodium foods with vegetables. Foods that are high in saturated fat may increase the risk of heart disease. Finding creative ways to eat more vegetables could mean snacking on sliced vegetables with hummus rather than a bag of chips, or challenging yourself to fill more than half your plate with vegetables each day at lunch.

• Try not to smoke cigarettes. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, but your risk also drops when you quit.

Our Expert Take

When you’re eating to support heart health, vegetables are key. They’re rich in fiber and contain powerful antioxidants, among other heart-healthy nutrients. If you’re looking for vegetables that fit into an overall heart-healthy diet and may reduce your risk of heart disease, a cardiologist recommends broccoli, kale, beets and legumes. Beyond the foods you eat, exercise and other lifestyle changes like not smoking are also key in lowering your risk of heart disease.

Read the original article on EatingWell