Eat your greens for a healthy heart

Vitamin K in kale, spinach and broccoli keeps the organ pumping

Eat your greens for a healthy heart, new research suggests. Vitamin K, which is found in kale, spinach and broccoli, maintains the size of the vital organ's left ventricle, a study found, which is responsible for pumping oxygen- rich blood around the body. that damage arteries and increase blood clotting, putting people at risk of suffering a heart disease or stroke.

A sugary diet also causes people's fat metabolism to be similar to that of a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease sufferer, the new research adds, with such individuals being at an increased risk of heart attacks.

Study author Professor Bruce Griffin from the University of Surrey, said: 'Our findings provide new evidence that consuming high amounts of sugar can alter your fat metabolism in ways that could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.'

The more vitamin K a person has, the less likely they are to develop an enlarged heart, the study found. Past research suggests vitamin K may activate a protein involved in maintaining heart size.

How the study was carried out

Researchers from Augusta University analyzed 766 healthy teenagers aged between 14 and 18. The study's participant's diet and activity levels were measured over seven days via self-reporting and devices that assess acceleration. Their heart's structure and function was investigated via ultrasound scans.

Insufficient vitamin K increases the heart's size