Cardiovascular Health
The Harvard-based Nurse's Health Study and Health Professionals follow-up study noted that the more vegetables subjects consumed, the less cardiovascular disease they developed (11). In fact, patients eating eight or more servings per day were thirty percent less likely to have coronary artery disease or stroke. Similar benefits were noted when patients with hypertension were studied. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Study showed decreases in blood pressure similar to those noted with medications when patients consumed diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy but low in saturated fat (12).