The results – published in the European Journal of Epidemiology – reveal the participants with the highest intake of vegetable nitrate, a nutrient found in green leafy vegetables and beetroot, had lower blood pressure than those who consumed the least. Eating more vegetable nitrate was also linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, with the benefit "plateauing at moderate intakes", around 60mg (a moderate serving) a day. Overall, those with a moderate intake were 15% less likely to develop heart disease than the participants who consumed the least amount of vegetable nitrate, at around 23mg per day. A moderate intake was specifically associated with a 12% lower risk of ischaemic heart disease, caused by narrow arteries depriving the vital organ of oxygen.