The quick message is that twoglasses of tomato juice will plausibly replace low dose statin therapy. It also gives us one more reason to figureout how to generate a dried watermelon fruit and or leather for generalconsumption from the best grade of over ripe fruit. I suspect that this type of concentrated fromcould be both sweet and hugely beneficial. We already have papaya fruit.
The other take home is to checkthe availability of lycopene in supplement form. It is but the reality is that there is muchwe do not know about the mix available in tomatoes and the work shown hereargues for the juice or paste for the full benefit.
In any case, the easy way is tohave a couple of glasses of tomato juice, or find a way to consume half a canof tomato paste.
Of course, if it is summer timeand the beef steak tomatoes are ripening on the vine, enjoy yourself and pigout on fresh tomatoes cut open with a sprinkling of either salt or sugar or justby itself and discover why some of us think it makes a great treat.
Cooked tomatoes 'as good as statins' for battling cholesterol
Last updated at 11:40 AM on 20th May 2011
They are common ingredients found in millions of kitchen cupboards.
But pasta sauces and pizza toppings could add much more than a tastytomato flavour to a family’s favourite meals.
Scientists said that cooked tomatoes can have the same benefits asstatins for patients battling against high cholesterol levels or high bloodpressure.
Healthy: Chemicals found in cooked tomatoes could be effective asstatins in fighting cholesterol
They could be an ‘effective alternative’ to statins, the class of drugscommonly prescribed for these conditions which can lead to heart problems,according to a study.
And just two ounces of tomato paste or a pint of juice a day couldbe enough to help many patients.
The secret lies in high levels of the compound lycopene whichgives ripe tomatoes their bright red colour. This powerful anti-oxidant isessential for good health as it helps lower the risk of heart attacks andstrokes.
Cooked tomatoes are best as tests showed the body can absorb morelycopene from these than raw fruit.
Experts in Australia
They concluded that it could provide a natural defence to raised levelsof so-called ‘bad cholesterol’ – or low-density lipoprotein – in theblood.
The effect was comparable to small doses of statins which are used totreat many of the 2.5 million-plus Britons with high cholesterol or bloodpressure
These conditions can be a factor in cardiovascular disease, thecountry’s biggest killer.
One of the study’s authors, Dr Karin Ried, of the University of Adelaide
In the journal Maturitas, she added half a litre of tomato juice or 50grams of tomato paste daily ‘would provide protection against heartdisease’.
Eating just one tomato a day would not be enough. Dr Ried said: ‘Iwould really recommend looking at tomato paste. It is very rich in lycopene andit is not difficult to get 50 grams a day in pasta or on a pizza or as a drink.Our study suggests that if more than 25 milligrams of lycopene is taken daily,it can reduce “bad” cholesterol by up to 10 per cent.
‘That’s comparable to the effect of low doses of medication commonlyprescribed but without side-effects, which can include muscle pain and weaknessand nerve damage.’
Lycopene is also found in watermelon, guava, papaya, pinkgrapefruit, apricots and rosehip but in lower concentrations.
Lycopene - Whole Tomatoes vs. Supplements
Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Lycopene is the compound responsible for the red colour oftomatoes - and many other fruits. Lycopene is a fat-soluble antioxidant whoserole in tomatoes is to protect the seeds from damage created by oxygen andlight. In fruit, lycopene can absorb UV light and its antioxidant activityallows it to neutralize free radical damage. As you'll soon discover, theyellow fluid around the tomato seeds also contains compounds that help preventcardiovascular disesase!
Lycopene's health promoting properties have been soimpressive that even the nutraceutical industry has isolated lycopene insupplement form. After all, if lycopene from a tomatoes can help prevent cancer, then why not take atruck-load of it in pill form? That seems to be most peoples' thinking. Plus,pills and supplements are easier to take - tomatoes take a little bit morethought!
It may also be helpful to realize that tomatoes are the 4th most commonlyconsumed fresh fruit and the most commonly consumed canned fruit/vegetable in North America . Therefore, do we really need tosupplement???
Furthermore, does lycopene in supplement form offer the same protectivebenefits (or better) as do whole tomatoes?
Well, let's find out...
Lycopene in Whole Tomatoes Protects Against Prostate Cancer
A study by the Harvard School
Lycopene's action against prostate cancer is an example of the power of wholefoods versus supplements for health benefits. In a study published in theJournalof the National Cancer Institute, rats were fed either a whole tomato powder oran isolated pure lycopene supplement (extract) and the results were nothingshort of amazing. The risk of death from prostate cancer was significantlygreater in the rats that were fed the pure lycopene extract!
Such results show us that there MUST be other compounds in tomatoesthat have a protective and synergistic effect, and that the whole food is trulywhat we should be after.
The power of whole foods lies in the synergy that exists between allthe nutrients inherent in a given food. In the case of lycopene, the wholetomato evidently contains a plethora of phytonutrients that render the wholetomato (not necessarily lycopene itself) so powerfully beneficial.
Lycopene in Whole Tomatoes Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease
The yellow fluid that surrounds the seeds in tomatoes contains animpressively large amount of flavonoids that have anti-clotting properties.Theoretically, these flavonoids could reduce the risk of heart attacks andstroke.
In a landmark study derived from the Women's Health Study, whichfollowed 40,000 women for 11 years, who were free from cancer or cardiovasculardisease (CVD) at the start of the study, tomato consumption was significantlycorrelated with a reduction in (CVD).
For those women who consumed 7 servings or more of tomato-based foodslike tomato sauce and pizza each week, there was a nearly 30% risk reduction intotal cardiovascular disease compared to the group with intakes of less than1-1/2 servings per week. Women who ate more than 10 servings per week had aneven more pronounced reduction in risk (65%) for specific CVD outcomes such asheart attack or stroke.
Again, such results are not seen in research that specifically isolateslycopene on its own. The power of whole foods cannot be undermined.
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