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Tomatoes prevent heart disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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American scientists have studied the impact of tomatoes and their derivatives on human health. Boston University researchers have found that regular consumption of fresh or canned tomatoes has a positive effect on cardiovascular health.
A recent study found that lycopene, which is abundant in tomatoes, can reduce the risk of heart disease by 20-25%. Lycopene is an insoluble pigment that gives tomatoes their red-orange color and is an isomer of beta-carotene.
American scientists have announced the beneficial properties of tomatoes based on the results of an eleven-year study. Several hundred volunteers were under the supervision of doctors, some of whom ate tomatoes and their derivatives daily. The second part of the participants practically excluded tomatoes from their daily diet. After 11 years, the scientists compared the analyzes and indicators of the participants, conducted a survey, which included a large number of questions about the state of health and diseases that manifested themselves during the study. The participants provided detailed records of their diet throughout the experiment, close attention was paid to the presence of tomato products in the daily menu.
The data obtained allow us to state the benefits of tomatoes, since people who had a large amount of tomatoes in their diet were 25% less likely to suffer from heart disease. The results showed that lycopene, which is contained in tomatoes, has a positive effect on the heart and helps to reduce the likelihood of diseases by 25%. Doctors advise regularly eating fruits and vegetables containing lycopene as a preventive measure against cardiovascular diseases. According to recommendations for the use of food supplements, you should consume about 5 mg of lycopene per day. Tomatoes are the most affordable and delicious vegetable that contains the pigment necessary for the human body. One kilogram of tomatoes contains about 10-45 mg of lycopene. It is noteworthy that lycopene is found in abundance in all tomato-derived products: tomato paste, vegetable juice, even ketchup can be considered as sources of the nutrient.
The study showed that the risk of coronary heart disease is proportional to the content of lycopene in the blood, so doctors strongly recommend that people prone to heart disease have a diet that contains a sufficient amount of tomatoes and fresh tomato juice. Previous studies have confirmed that lycopene has a positive effect on the risk of developing such oncological diseases as prostate cancer and stomach cancer. Information has also been published that products containing red pigment can be used as auxiliary substances in internal inflammatory processes. A study was also conducted that showed that lycopene, unfortunately, cannot affect cerebrovascular accidents and diseases of the nervous system.