Researchers found that green leafy vegetables are high in nitrates and help lower blood pressure in addition to preventing cardiovascular diseases in a recent study that was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology and titled “Vegetable nitrate intake, BP and incident Heart disease: Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study.”
Green Leaves Are Rich in Nitrates
Vegetable nitrate, which may be found in a majority of green leafy vegetables, may be beneficial to the health of one’s cardiovascular system, as shown by the results of one experiment that involved 53,000 participants. Plants such as broccoli, carrots, and beets may all contain trace amounts of these nitrates, but at much lower concentrations than in animal products.
Despite the fact that it is common knowledge that inorganic nitrate has a positive influence on both blood pressure and the health of the cardiovascular system, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact that nitrate consumption from vegetables has on the diet.
After more than 20 years of follow-up, it was shown that those with lower nitrate levels had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This was the case regardless of whether or not they smoked. This was the case irrespective of whether or not the individuals smoked throughout the course of the study.
When a person eats a healthy quantity of nitrates, the risk of developing ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and other disorders that are associated with cardiovascular health is reduced.
How to Include Nitrates in Your Diet?
To reap the benefits of eating foods containing nitrates, all you need to do is ensure that your diet contains a sufficient amount of dark green leafy vegetables. Among the many options that are accessible to you, you can come across the following:
Spinach
Endive
lettuce
Cabbage
Parsley
Chard
If you think that it is very boring to eat green leaves, get creative! The following is a list of mouthwatering ways in which you may include these veggies into your everyday routine:
- You can add spinach to a smoothie; the leaves provide color but not taste, and you still get all of the advantages of eating the spinach in its raw form.
- To make a delicious salad, combine lettuce and arugula with feta cheese, walnuts, and honey mustard dressing in a mixing bowl.
- You may make some homemade fajitas by using any kind of green leaf in the mixture of chicken or ground beef.
- If you are the kind of cook who enjoys trying out the most experimental dishes, you may want to give pancakes made with oats and spinach a go for a unique breakfast option.
Because it is advised that you drink one cup of green leaves on a daily basis, you should always have various different alternatives in your refrigerator so that you do not forget.
Also see: Do You Know The Effects Of Salt Consumption In The Diet?
