Epidemiological studies show that individuals who consume more fruits and vegetables reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. But like most things, some fruits—and vegetables in particular—may be that much more beneficial in protecting cardiovascular health.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, microgreens from red cabbage are able to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in obese individuals more effectively than mature red cabbage.

Microgreens are tender, immature plants produced from the seeds of vegetables. Previous studies have found that microgreens possess higher nutritional densities when compared to their mature counter parts. However, no studies have compared the impact of this nutritional density on reducing cardiovascular disease impact.

To test their hypothesis, researchers used mice that were a model for obesity and tend to develop high cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Researchers divided 60 mice into different diet groups. They received food low in fat or high in fat, and with or without either red cabbage microgreens or mature red cabbage.

Results showed that both the microgreens and mature cabbage diets reduced weight gain and levels of liver cholesterol in the mice on high-fat diets. But the study also showed that microgreens contained more potentially cholesterol-lowering polyphenols and glucosinolates than mature cabbage. The young plants also helped lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and liver triglyceride levels in the animals.