Eating More Broccoli and Spinach May Cut Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk: Study Suggests

A cup and a half of leafy green vegetables could go a long way to addressing atherosclerotic vascular diseases (ASVD’s), new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU), the University of Western Australia and the Danish Cancer Institute has found.

Atherosclerotic vascular diseases are a subgroup of cardiovascular disease, which are current leading causes of death world-wide, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes.

In a study of 1,436 older women (average age 75), researchers found that higher dietary vitamin K1 intake may be linked to better heart health. Using food questionnaires from 1998, they assessed vitamin K1 levels and later measured artery thickness (a sign of early atherosclerosis) in over 1,000 participants. Over 14.5 years, hospital records were analyzed, showing that women with higher vitamin K1 intake had fewer atherosclerotic vascular events.

Research led by Ms Dupuy has found that the higher dietary intake of Vitamin K1 could reduce the risk of atherosclerotic vascular diseases.

“Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, like spinach, kale, and broccoli, contain Vitamin K1, which may assist in preventing vascular calcification processes that characterise cardiovascular disease. The great news is that these vegetables can be easily incorporated into your daily meals,” she said.

In addition to its potential role in vascular calcification inhibition, Vitamin K may also be beneficial for musculoskeletal health, through its impact on bone strength.

ECU Senior Research Fellow Dr Marc Sim noted that a cup and a half of such vegetables is an easy way to increase our daily vitamin K intake and may lower our risk for cardiovascular disease”.

“This research found women who consumed approximately 30% higher intakes of Vitamin K1 than currently recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines had lower long-term risk of ASVD,” he said.

“Of importance, when we examined the blood vessels in the neck, those with a higher Vitamin K1 intake also had less thickening of these blood vessels, a marker of atherosclerosis.”

Reference: Dupuy, M., Zhong, L., Radavelli-Bagatini, S. et al. Higher vitamin K1 intakes are associated with lower subclinical atherosclerosis and lower risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease-related outcomes in older women. Eur J Nutr 64, 171 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-025-03686-x