A new study found that eating leafy greens and foods like bananas may reduce the risk of heart disease, arrhythmia, and death by up to a quarter.

Potassium-rich foods such as salmon, broccoli, and spinach help the body eliminate more salt and reduce the likelihood of heart-related diseases by 24%.

In the study presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Madrid, researchers tested 1,200 patients with chronic heart conditions, with 600 directed to follow a potassium-rich, low-meat diet.

Professor Henning Bundgaard, the study’s lead author from Copenhagen University Hospital, explained: “The human body evolved on a potassium-rich, low-sodium diet – when we lived in the savannah and ate fruits and vegetables.”

He added, “We now follow a modern diet based on processed foods; the more processed the food, the higher the sodium and the lower the potassium… a radical change.”

The results showed that higher blood potassium levels were generally associated with a significant reduction in the risk of cardiac events, hospital admission, or death from any cause.

A previous study published in April in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology found that increased potassium intake can also lower blood pressure.

Anita Layton, one of the study’s authors, said: “Our research indicates that adding more potassium-rich foods like bananas or broccoli to your diet may have a greater positive effect on blood pressure than simply reducing sodium.”