It’s another reason to enjoy your veggies as we age.

In a study of almost a thousand Australian women aged 70 and older, questionnaires were analyzed to see if the amount of fruit or vegetables the women ate was associated with the thickness of their carotid artery wall, which has been linked to heart disease and stroke.

Fruit intake did not affect the measurements, but those who ate more vegetables — especially cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli — had thinner artery walls.

Since a 0.1 millimetre reduction has been previously associated with a 10-to-18 per cent decrease in the risk of heart attack and stroke respectively, the researchers estimate that increased vegetable intake could also reduce the risk of these medical conditions.

You can read about the study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

(The Associated Press)