Tomatoes tend to divide folks. You either love ’em, or you hate ’em.
Me? I’m in the love camp.
And some recent research out of Japan has left me feeling very grateful that I am.
It turns out my passion for these classic summer veggies may have been doing a lot MORE than just pleasing my palate.
They could have been helping save my life, too.
It was my grandmother who taught me to eat tomato sandwiches as a kid. And I’ve loved them in just about all their forms ever since.
To this day I firmly believe there are few flavors which can outshine that of a fresh, ripe tomato straight off the vine. And my heart may be healthier because of it.
The new study found that the juices of these warm-weather staples could help prevent heart disease.
And that’s especially true for folks at a higher risk for the condition.
You see, tomatoes are brimming with bioflavonoids.
The scientists say these potent compounds could help you improve both your blood pressure AND cholesterol levels.
And that, of course, could send your heart disease risk PLUMMETING.
Effortlessly improve BP & cholesterol WITHOUT drugs
The study volunteers… a group of 184 men and 297 women… were encouraged to drink as much unsalted tomato juice as they wanted for a year.
They weren’t asked to make ANY other changes to their regular routine. That means NO restrictive diets. And NO strenuous exercise routines, either.
At the end of the year, the researchers were STUNNED to find that blood pressure in the nearly 100 folks in the study who had untreated prehypertension or hypertension had dropped significantly.
- systolic blood pressure fell from an average of 141.2 to 137 mmHg
- diastolic blood pressure dropped from an average of 83.3 to 80.8 mmHg
And the surprises didn’t end there.
Cholesterol levels dropped too. LDL in 125 of the volunteers with unhealthy cholesterol dropped over five points on average, from 155.0 to 149.9.mg/dl.
And all those improvements were accomplished with drinking around 200 ml, or less than seven ounces of tomato juice, a day.
Now you know I always give it you straight. So I’m not going to pull any punches here. This study DID have a couple of limitations.
For example, it wasn’t a randomized controlled trial. And the researchers didn’t collect detailed diet and lifestyle information on all of the participants.
But the results are STILL impressive.
And considering the alternative—heavy duty drugs and the side effects that go with them—looking for ways to incorporate more tomato products into your diet is a no brainer.
That’s ESPECIALLY true for folks right on the borderline for high blood pressure, poor cholesterol, and heart disease.
Tomatoes bring MORE health benefits to the table
And speaking of brains, it’s not just hearts these summertime staples are good for….
- Tomatoes can also help boost your GABA This vital neurotransmitter eases stress, anxiety, and chronic pain.
- And studies have linked tomatoes with fewer cases of prostate, lung, and stomach cancers. Experts believe the carotenoid lycopene gets the credit. To boost lycopene levels, cook your tomatoes and eat them with a healthy fat like olive oil.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K1, potassium, and folate as well. Just be sure the ones you pick are organic. And the redder in color, the better.
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