A comprehensive analysis of the Reign study in Western Australia highlights how two vegetable groups—legumes and cruciferous vegetables—could significantly protect young individuals from early cardiometabolic risks. Interestingly, the benefits of these vegetables vary notably between men and women.
Image Credit: Silvia Rita – Research indicates that higher intakes of legumes and cruciferous vegetables correlate with a lower risk of cardiometabolic issues in young adults, showcasing significant gender disparities.
Research underscores that not all vegetables equally contribute to cardiometabolic health.
Specific vegetable groups exhibit markedly stronger connections to enhanced cardiometabolic health outcomes among adults.
However, there is a lack of studies focusing on these relationships in younger populations.
“What you eat now is crucial, and incorporating these vegetables into your daily diet can significantly impact your longevity and life quality,” states Dr. Lauren Breckenhorst from Edith Cowan University.
In this study, Dr. Breckenhorst and colleagues evaluated data from 638 participants in the Longitudinal Reign Study, which has tracked an Australian cohort from prenatal stages.
At age 22, participants filled out a detailed dietary questionnaire and underwent lab tests to check blood pressure, waist circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels. These metrics serve as indicators of metabolic syndrome risk, a cluster of conditions that heighten the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes.
Approximately 20% of participants fell into the high-risk category, indicating the presence of two or more concerning health markers.
According to Dr. Therese O’Sullivan, also from Edith Cowan University, “These risk factors are appearing earlier than anticipated by many.”
Analysis of vegetable intake by type (including allium, cruciferous, green and yellow vegetables, legumes, etc.) revealed distinct patterns linked to gender.
Men in the low-risk category consumed significantly more legumes—like peas, beans, and lentils—compared to their high-risk counterparts.
After adjusting for factors such as income, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other dietary habits, men who increased their legume intake by one additional serving (approximately 75 grams) daily were about 72% less likely to be categorized as high-risk.
For women, cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts demonstrated the strongest association with lower cardiometabolic risk.
Women with low cardiometabolic risk consumed more of these vegetables, and each extra serving daily reduced their odds of being at high risk by approximately 85% after adjustments.
While women in the low-risk group also consumed more green and yellow vegetables, this relationship didn’t remain significant after considering other variables.
“It’s not just about increasing vegetable consumption indiscriminately,” explains Dr. Neil McNamara, also from Edith Cowan University.
“The gender-specific trends are evident, with men benefiting more from beans and women from broccoli.”
Dr. O’Sullivan added, “Our findings suggest that men and women might metabolize certain nutrients and plant compounds differently.”
For instance, natural compounds in legumes may have a more pronounced impact on testosterone levels, while those in cruciferous vegetables may influence female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
These findings will be published in the August 2026 issue of the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease.
_____
Neil McNamara et al. 2026. Higher intake of legumes and cruciferous vegetables is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk in young adults: a cross-sectional study. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease 36 (8): 104709; doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2026.104709
Source: www.sci.news
