Olijfolie en groenten tegen hart- en vaatziektes*
Volgens een Italiaanse studie onder ruim 30.000 vrouwen blijkt dat een voeding rijk aan groene bladgroenten en
olijfolie de kans op hart- en vaatziektes fors doet verminderen. De vrouwen, van gemiddeld 50 jaar werden 8 jaar lang gevolgd en na afloop bleek dat zij die iedere dag 1 portie groene bladgroenten zoals
sla of spinazie aten wel 46% minder kans hadden op hart- en vaatziektes dan zij die twee of minder porties per week aten. Zij die iedere dag 3 eetlepels (30 gram) olijfolie in hun voeding verwerkten hadden ruim 44% minder kans op hart- en vaatziektes dan zij die 15 gram of minder olijfolie gebruikten.
Olive oil, green leafy vegetables prevent heart disease
Italian researchers have confirmed that diets rich in leafy green vegetables and olive oil are vital for heart health. Dr. Domenico Palli from the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence and his colleagues discovered that women who eat at least one serving of leafy greens a day are 46 percent less likely to develop heart disease than women who eat less. And those who consume at least three tablespoons of olive oil a day earn roughly the same benefit.
"Probably the mechanisms responsible for the protective effect of plant-origin foods on cardiovascular diseases involve micronutrients such as folate, antioxidant vitamins and potassium, all present in green leafy vegetables," explained Palli to Reuters Health, confirming what previous studies on the "Mediterranean Diet" have already found.
Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study collected data from about 30,000 Italian women and tracked their health over the course of eight years. They then correlated cases of heart disease to dietary habits and found that the amount of olive oil and leafy green vegetables consumed is directly correlated to heart
health. (April 2011)
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