Want to be free of high cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)? Tomatoes can be a way out. They may be an effective alternative to drugs in lowering cholesterol and BP and in preventing heart disease. A bright red pigment called lycopene found in tomatoes, and to a lesser extent in watermelon, guava, pa paya and pink grapefruit, has antioxidant properties that are vital to good health. Karin Ried and her colleague Peter Fakler from the University of Adelaide, South Australia, are the first to summarise the effect of lycopene on cholesterol and blood pressure (BP), analysing the results of 14 studies over the last 55 years. “If more than 25 milligrams of lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce LPD (bad) cholesterol by up to 10 %,” says Ried. Tomatoes 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. The tomato wonder - Hindustan Times
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
The tomato wonder - Hindustan Times
Want to be free of high cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)? Tomatoes can be a way out. They may be an effective alternative to drugs in lowering cholesterol and BP and in preventing heart disease. A bright red pigment called lycopene found in tomatoes, and to a lesser extent in watermelon, guava, pa paya and pink grapefruit, has antioxidant properties that are vital to good health. Karin Ried and her colleague Peter Fakler from the University of Adelaide, South Australia, are the first to summarise the effect of lycopene on cholesterol and blood pressure (BP), analysing the results of 14 studies over the last 55 years. “If more than 25 milligrams of lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce LPD (bad) cholesterol by up to 10 %,” says Ried. Tomatoes 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. The tomato wonder - Hindustan Times