If you are suffering from heart disease, try increasing your daily intake of tomatoes - that is according to new research.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust gave a group of heart patients either a placebo, or a daily supplement containing seven milligrams of lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes and other fruits.
The benefits of lycopene are impressive. It is ten times more potent than vitamin E and previous research showed its potency appears to be enhanced when it is consumed pureed, in ketchup or in the presence of olive oil.
The study looked at 36 individuals and those taking the pill every day for two months saw their blood vessels widen by 53 per cent. The reason for this is due to improved functioning of the endothelium, the inner wall cell lining of blood vessels, said researchers.
"There is a wealth of research that suggests that the Mediterranean diet that includes lycopene found in tomatoes is good for our cardiovascular health. But so far, it has been a mystery what the underlying mechanisms could be," explained Joseph Cheriyan, an associate lecturer at University of Cambridge.
"It reinforces the need for a healthy diet in people at risk from heart disease and stroke. A daily 'tomato pill' is not a substitute for other treatments but may provide added benefits when taken alongside other medication," Cheriyan maintained.
To ensure a fairer trial, neither the volunteers nor the researchers were told what the tablets actually contained until after the two-month study had ended and the results were in, 'BBC News' reported.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
