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A study by the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence, Italy, showed women who ate at least one serving of leafy green vegetables a day were 46 percent less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease. The same study showed women who consumed at least three tablespoons of olive oil daily were also 44 percent less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease.

It's not clear what causes green veggies and olive oil to reduce heart disease risk. Dr. Domenico Palli, who led the study, thinks it micronutrients such as antioxidants

"Probably the mechanisms responsible for the protective effect of plant-origin foods on cardiovascular diseases involve micronutrients such as folate, antioxidant vitamins and potassium, all present in green leafy vegetables," he told Reuters Health.

Dr. Palli and his team of researchers gathered dietary information from 30,000 Italian women, with an average age 50, and follow them for eight years.

Women who ate at least one daily serving of leafy vegetables - such as raw lettuce or endives, or cooked vegetables like spinach had a 46 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than women who ate at most two portions per week.

Consuming at least an ounce of olive oil per day lowered their risk by 44 percent relative to women who consumed a half-ounce or less daily, according to researchers.