Eating plenty of veg will NOT help ward off heart disease, researchers say 

Eating lots of vegetables is often said to be the key to living a long and healthy life.

However a major UK study has claimed that this will not help to ward off heart disease.

Researchers at Oxford University looked at data from 400,000 Britons, who were tracked for 12 years.

During this period, 18,000 had major heart problems such as a heart attack or stroke.

Eating lots of vegetables is often said to be the key to living a long and healthy life. However a major UK study has claimed that this will not help to ward off heart disease

Participants were asked how many vegetables they ate each day and this was compared with rates of heart disease.

Overall the group who ate the most raw vegetables were 15 per cent less likely to suffer heart disease than those who ate the least.

There was no difference for cooked vegetables. But the benefit of eating raw veg disappeared when other factors, such as wealth and lifestyle, were taken into account.

The study concluded that having lots of foods such as broccoli, carrots and peas ‘does not have a protective effect on the occurrence of cardiovascular disease’.

Any link between eating vegetables and heart health is because those who eat lots tend to be healthier in other aspects of their life, suggests a report in the journal Frontiers of Nutrition.

The research examined NHS data from 399,586 UK adults with an average age of 56. The daily intake of total vegetables was five heaped tablespoons per person.

However co-author Dr Ben Lacey said: ‘Eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight remains an important part of maintaining good health and reducing risk of major diseases, including some cancers.’

Other experts also stressed that Britons must not be put off eating vegetables.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count

• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain

• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on

• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options

• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts

• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day

• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide