Go Green

4 lucky foods to live by

By Mary Lou Perry, Registered Dietitian for the UVA Heart and Vascular Center

The color green; it’s associated with the Emerald Isle, Spring and the four-leaf clover. But this color conjures up more than good luck. Green foods host a variety of nutrachemicals shown to improve heart health. 

Just as there are four leaves to a good-luck clover, there are 4 green foods with robust riches of health benefits. Make sure you add these good-luck charms to your diet:

1. Broccoli (or any green vegetable)

Any vegetable with a dark green color throughout is a rich source of vitamin A or beta carotene. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that slows the formation of free radicals, chemicals associated with aging and disease. Dark green vegetables are a great source of folic acid too. Getting enough folic acid can prevent the accumulation of high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, a new risk factor for heart disease.

2. Avocado

Sodium and cholesterol free, this delicious rich-tasting fruit packs a punch with its abundance of healthy monounsaturated fat. Eating more monounsaturated fats can lower LDL (lethal or plaque-building cholesterol) and decreases heart disease risk. In addition, these green wonders are full of lutein which helps maintain healthy eyes.

3. Kiwi Fruit

Packed with more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange, this bright green kiwi fruit speckled with tiny black sees is known for its mild sweet taste. Vitamin C can neutralize free radicals that damage cells leading to inflammation, a major contributor to blood vessel damage. Vitamin C can decrease the risk of death from all causes including heart disease and stroke. Not only is kiwi an excellent source of vitamin C, it contains polyphenols, vitamin E, potassium, and fiber, all of which protect blood vessel walls of the heart.

4. Pistachios

Also known as “green almonds,” pistachios offer cholesterol-busting phytosterols, good monounsaturated fat and lots of potassium. Research shows that women who eat a handful of these nuts four times a week can lower their risk of heart disease by 40 percent. Pistachios can raise good cholesterol found in the blood, relax blood vessels, thereby reducing the heart’s overall work load and decrease blood pressure. Lots of benefits for such a tiny green nut! Just make sure you look for salt-free.

So there you have it, four delicious green foods all found to have heart benefits. The luck of the Irish may be in the green, and the Live Red Woman can eat green any day of the year for a charmed, healthier life.