The study in mice found that a mixture of the top five common vegetables reduced hardening of the arteries by 38 percent compared to animals eating a non-vegetable diet, according to researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

May Prevent Heart Attacks, Strokes

"While everyone knows that eating more vegetables is supposed to be good for you, no one had shown before that it can actually inhibit the development of arteriosclerosis," said study leader Michael Adams.

This suggests how a diet high in vegetables may help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

The study used specially bred mice that rapidly develop arteriosclerosis, the formation on blood-vessel walls of fatty plaques that eventually protrude into the vessel's opening and can reduce blood flow.

Despite compelling evidence supporting the health benefits of increased vegetable consumption, US intake remains low. The mean consumption is 3.2 servings per day, with about 40 percent coming from starchy vegetables such as potatoes, according to Adams.

The findings are published in the Journal of Nutrition.