Those who believed that eating vegetables served to avoid cardiovascular disease will have to think again after the latest study conducted by the University of Oxford. The researchers – as reported by the Daily Mail – examined the data of 400,000 Britons with a mean age of 56 years, monitored for 12 years. During this period, 18,000 people experienced severe heart problems such as heart attack and stroke. Participants were asked how many vegetables they ate each day. And the data that emerged was then compared with heart disease rates.
What was the result? Overall, the group that ate the most raw vegetables had only 15% less likely to suffer from heart disease than those who ate less. While no difference has been found for cooked vegetables. Then, when other factors, such as wealth and lifestyle, were taken into account, the advantage gained by the group eating raw vegetables was reduced to zero.
According to experts, the links between vegetable consumption and heart health are only due to the fact that those who eat a lot of vegetables tend to be healthier in other aspects of one’s life as well. Despite this surprising result, Dr Ben Lacey, co-author of the study, said: “Having a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight remains an important part of maintaining good health and reducing the risk of major diseases, including some cancers.” .
