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Lower your blood pressure by eating more green vegetables, study suggests Credits: Social Media
By Bruno Cooke

Lower your blood pressure by eating more green vegetables, study suggests

By Bruno Cooke

Do you eat your greens? Well, you probably should. Its common knowledge that dark green leafy vegetables are broadly good for us, but a new study comparing the effect on blood pressure of eating leafy greens versus root and squash vegetables shows the benefits of the former.

Weve already sung the praises of the humble carrot, whose name begat the carotenoids fun-to-say moniker. A carrot a day keeps the cancer at bay �or, at least, probably goes partway to reducing cancer risk. Potatoes, too, are here to help. Taters  with the skins on �are a potential superfood, with numerous health benefits, especially for those with type 2 diabetes. Now we train our eye on the Brassica family, plus a handful of other genera.�

Proud farmer with a huge bunch of organic kale fall day harvest
Credit: Cavan Images

Eating dark green leafy vegetables lowers systolic blood pressure

Compared with root vegetables and members of the squash family �gourds, etc.  dark green leafy vegetables (the study’s authors use the word cruciferous) have a remarkable ability to lower brachial systolic blood pressure. Thats according to research published on September 2, 2024, in BMC Medicine.

Brachial systolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in a particular artery in the elbow. Its measured using a blood pressure cuff. The brachial part refers to the pressure in your arteries when the heart is contracting, and actively pumping blood out around the body.

Not all of us would benefit from a decrease in blood pressure. But a lot of us would. According to USC Schaeffer, 70% of Americans will have high blood pressure at some point in their lifetimes.

The American Heart Association adds that nearly half of all US adults have high blood pressure at any one time. In other words, get your greens in, folks. Theyll probably do you a world of good.

What counts as a cruciferous vegetable?

Because of selective breeding, over the years, humans have produced a huge variety of cultivars within the genus Brassica. The different types of Brassica make up most of the list of cruciferous vegetables.

There are many familiar faces on the list �take note:

  • Kale
  • Collard greens
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Boo chow (aka Chinese cabbage)
  • Rutabaga, or swede
  • Wild arugula, or rocket
  • Watercress
  • Radish
  • Daikon

Not all of them have dark green leaves, no. But many do.

Affordable, and easily made into a delicious dish, many cruciferous vegetables fit well into a rounded diet. Some are more of an acquired taste, or less available. These include:

  • Land cress
  • Ethiopian mustard
  • Kohlrabi
  • Broccoflower  these are amazing
  • Japanese mustard greens
  • Choy sum
  • Tat choy
  • Wasabi
  • Field pepperweed

The researchers say more studies are needed to determine whether or not specific recommendations for increasing intake of vegetables like these will actively benefit population health. But as a general rule, since more people have high blood pressure than have lower blood pressure (5-30%, according to Cleveland Clinic), it cant hurt to eat more greens.