Heart-Healthy Vegetables for San Diego Gardens

The Best Heart-Healthy Vegetables to Plant in San Diego Summer Gardens

Heart disease affects many San Diegans, and growing heart-healthy vegetables in your garden is the perfect way to help your heart. It not only provides an excuse to improve your heart health by getting outside and being active, it also creates delicious vegetables your heart will thank you for.

Heart-Healthy Vegetables Flourish in Your San Diego Summer Garden!

These picks are the best to plant during the late summer in San Diego gardens in order to bring heart health benefits year-round.

Bell Peppers

• Good for Your Heart: Bell peppers contain folate, a nutrient that can reduce homocysteine. Homocysteine is a form of amino acid that has been linked to heart disease.

• Good for Your Garden: Red and green bell peppers are actually the same thing! The longer the pepper matures on the plant, the redder it becomes, and the higher a content of Vitamin C it contains.

Tomatoes

• Good for Your Heart: Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a carotenoid that has been proven to be effective in preventing heart disease.

• Good for Your Garden: Tomato seedlings need strong, direct light. Preferably this should be 14-18 hours of direct light per day!

 

Swiss Chard

• Good for Your Heart: Leafy greens such as Swiss chard provide an excellent source of magnesium, which has been proven to improve heart health.

• Good for Your Garden: Swiss chard prefers rich, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. It also has a high tolerance for warm temperatures.

 

Onions

• Good for Your Heart: Onions are a rich source of sulphur-containing phytochemicals. They prevent heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels.

• Good for Your Garden: The best onions for San Diego gardens are planted in late summer and grown over winter, and prefer up to 14-16 hours of daylight.

 

Squash

• Good for Your Heart: Squash has a collection of nutrients that contribute to heart health, including vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and folate.

• Good for Your Garden: Summer squash thrives in San Diego gardens because of its need for full sun and warm temperatures.

 

Plant these vegetables and take control of your heart health! They love to live and grow in San Diego as much as we do. Contact your Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups Doctor today to discuss heart disease treatment and other ways to improve your risk of heart disease.