50 gms Red Tomatoes Paste or 500 ml Tomato Juice a day keep heart diseases away .... A new study !!!

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The humble tomato is more than a delicious fruit. The secret to a healthy heart may be simply relishing a nectarous tomato.According to a recent investigation, an international team led by the University of Adelaide, Tomatoes can serve as a powerful alternative to medication in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, thus preventing cardiovascular disease. It was suggested that a bright red pigment called LYCOPENE in tomatoes has antioxidant properties that are essential for good health. This pigment appears present to a lesser extent in watermelon, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit and rosehip as well. The study has been published in the "Maturitas journal" this month.
Claimed to be a novel study, the Researchers came to the conclusion by summarising the effect of Lycopene on cholesterol and blood pressure analysing the collective results of 14 studies in the last 55 years. "Our study suggests that if more than 25 milligrams of Lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by up to 10 per cent," Dr Karin Ried, who led the team, said. Lycopene appears better absorbed when consumed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes.

Bright Red Tomatoes in particular have high levels of Lycopene, with half-a-litre of tomato juice taken daily, or 50 grams of tomato paste, providing protection against heart disease, say the researchers. Eating just one tomato a day would not be enough. Dr Ried said: ‘I would really recommend looking at 50 gms of tomato paste daily. It is very rich in Lycopene and it is not difficult to get 50 grams a day.

 

"That's comparable to the effect of low doses of medication commonly prescribed for people with slightly elevated cholesterol, but without the side effects of these drugs, which can include muscle pain and weakness and nerve damage," Dr Ried said.
"Research shows that high lycopene consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, including hardened arteries, heart attacks and strokes," Dr Ried said. He, however, added that more study is needed to explore whether doses higher than 25 to 44 milligrammes of lypocene a day provide additional benefits.

Dr. Ried and her colleagues have received international recognition for other clinical studies which show the benefits of both garlic and dark chocolate in helping to lower blood pressure.