Tomato is good for cardiovascular health. According to a study by the University of Barcelona, published in European Society of Cardiologyeating a tomato per day would reduce the risk of high blood pressure. This chronic disease is characterized by an abnormally high pressure of blood: it increases the risk of cardiovascular complications.
Tomato, one of the main foods of the Mediterranean diet
“High blood pressure is a global public health problem, the prevalence of which increases each year “, recall the authors in the preamble. In France, 17 million people suffer from high blood pressure. “”The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommends reducing cardiovascular risk factors by promoting a healthy lifestyle, including a diet rich in fruits and vegetables “continue these specialists. They add that tomato is one of the flagship foods of the Mediterranean diet, whose health benefits have been proven. This fruit contains water, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, but it is especially interesting for minerals, vitamins and other compounds which it contains. “”Among the carotenoids, the most abundant is Lycopene, (…) whose antioxidant activity is 10 times higher than that of vitamin E “they warn.
High blood pressure: one tomato per day reduces the risk
These different compounds have beneficial health effects. “”However, there is no general consensus as to the effects of tomato consumption on blood pressure “specify the authors. In this study, carried out with more than 7,400 participants, they sought to understand the effects of the fruit on blood pressure and the risk of hypertension. Their results show that the consumption of tomatoes, even transformed, is beneficial for the prevention of this pathology. “”The consumption of long -term tomatoes has been associated with a hypotensive effect, both for systolic and dystolic blood pressure in grade 1 hypertension, conclude the authors. An inverse association has been found between high tomato consumption (> 100 g/day, which corresponds to a medium -sized tomato) and high blood pressure, the risk of hypertension having decreased by 36 %.”
How to explain the benefits of tomatoes on the risk of hypertension?
According to Spanish researchers, these tomato benefits could be linked to lycopenes. These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, they recall that this is an observational study: it does not prove a cause and effect link, but demonstrates an association between the consumption of tomatoes and the decrease in blood pressure.
