Researcher reviewing dietary study data in a lab

Legumes and Cruciferous Veg Tied to Heart Risk by Sex

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have reported that legumes and cruciferous vegetables are associated with lower cardiometabolic risk markers in young adults, with the effect differing by sex. The cross-sectional analysis, published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, used dietary questionnaires and clinical testing from 638 participants in the long-running Western Australian Raine Study, assessed at age 22. Around one in five participants already showed multiple cardiometabolic risk markers, including raised blood pressure, waist circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides or blood sugar. After adjusting for income, activity, smoking, education, other vegetable intake, energy and saturated fat, each additional 75g daily serving of legumes such as beans, lentils and peas was associated with about 72% lower odds of high-risk classification in men. In women, each additional daily serving of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts, was associated with roughly 85% lower odds.

Why the sexes differ

Lead researcher Neal McNamara said the pattern may reflect how men and women process specific plant compounds differently, with lead author Dr Lauren Blekkenhorst's team noting that legumes and cruciferous vegetables may interact differently with sex hormones. The study is observational, drawn from a single Australian birth cohort, and the researchers said longer dietary trials are needed before the findings can be treated as proof of cause and effect. Diet was self-reported by questionnaire, which is a recognised source of error in nutrition research of this kind, and the cohort was drawn from a single Western Australian city rather than a nationally representative sample.

What this means in practice

The findings describe an association measured in one Australian cohort at one point in adulthood, not a UK clinical guideline, and they do not establish that eating either food group changes an individual's own heart disease risk. For UK readers comparing the cost of a varied, vegetable-heavy diet against the wider catalogue of health products, Perqen lists its full range at the full product catalogue.

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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.

Sources

Originally reported by Edith Cowan University (via EurekAlert). This article has been reviewed by Dr Tosin.

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