Tomato lowers risk of stroke – Study

Those who ordinarily do not include tomatoes in their diet can begin to have a rethink. This is because a new research reveals that the
lycopene nutrient, found in tomatoes, helps in lowering the risk of a stroke by more than 50 per cent.

A report by the WSJ Washington bureau, Jennifer Dooren, shows that men with the highest levels of lycopene—an antioxidant found in tomatoes—had fewer strokes than their counterparts having the lowest level of lycopene in their blood. In all, the risk of strokes was reduced by 55 per cent.

Wikipedia states that tomato “may refer to the plant (Solanum lycopersicum) or the edible, typically red, fruit that it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonisation of the Americans, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler climates.’’

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s national nutrient database, lycopene is said to be found in highest concentrations in cooked tomato products such as paste, puree and sauce. Also, a cooked tomato sauce contains more lycopene than raw tomatoes. The USDA indicates that a cup of ready-to-serve marina sauce has more than 31,000 micrograms of lycopene while the average raw tomato has about 3,165 micrograms.

It also reveals that a slice of fast food pizza has 2,074 micrograms of lycopene while a tablespoon of catsup has 2,146 micrograms of lycopene.

Besides, lycopene is can also be found in watermelon, grapefruit, papaya and mango. Some past studies have shown that lycopene can cut the risk of prostate and other types of cancer.

Though not part of those who conducted the research, Director, Centre for Stroke and Neuro-Endovascular Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, Dr. Rafael Ortiz, says the study shows that “diet is very important” for cutting stroke risk along with exercising and not smoking. He states that lycopene reduces inflammation and prevents blood clots.

The study carried out in Finland involved 1,031 men who were part of a larger study examining the risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease.

It observes that the men were aged between 42 and 61 and living in and around the city of Kuopio in Eastern Finland when they first enrolled in the study in the early 1990s.

According to the study, samples of blood were taken at the study’s start and seven years later for most men. It discloses that the men were monitored on an average of 12 years.

The lead author of the study who is affiliated to the University of Eastern Finland’s Department of Medicine, Jouni Karppi, says the main goal of the study is to check whether other substances such as retinol, or vitamin A, and alpha-tocopherol, a type of vitamin E, had an effect on stroke rates.

The study reveals, ‘‘They found no association with the levels of vitamin A or E, but instead found that men who had the highest level of lycopene in their bodies were 55 per cent less likely to have a stroke than men with the lowest amount of lyocopene. They were 59 per cent less likely to have a type of stroke called an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke that is caused by a blood clot. Overall, there were 67 strokes among the 1,031 men in the study.

Of those, 50 were ischemic. There were 25 strokes among 258 men who were considered to have the lowest levels of lycopene while there were 11 strokes among men with the highest lycopene levels. The men were divided into four groups by lycopene levels.’’

The study is at the instance of Lapland Central Hospital in Finland. Earlier, another study shows eating more tomatoes and tomato products can make people healthier and decrease the risk of conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

It discovered that of all the non-starchy ‘vegetables,’ Americans eat more tomatoes and tomato products than any others. The researchers Britt Burton-Freeman and Kristin Reimers, of the National Centre for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and ConAgra Foods, Inc. found out that tomato products play invaluable role in health and disease risk reduction.

They noted that tomatoes constitute the biggest source of dietary lycopene; a powerful antioxidant that, unlike nutrients in most fresh fruits and vegetables, has even greater bioavailability after cooking and processing.

The researchers said, ‘‘Tomatoes also contain other protective mechanisms, such as antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory functions. Research has additionally found a relationship between eating tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers as well as other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, ultraviolet light-induced skin damage, and cognitive dysfunction.’’

Their findings revealed that tomatoes are widely available, because people of all ages and cultures like them, they are cost-effective, and are available in many forms.

“Leveraging emerging science about tomatoes and tomato products may be one simple and effective strategy to help individuals increase vegetable intake, leading to improved overall eating patterns, and ultimately, better health,” the researchers said.

Tomatoes are said to be the most important non-starchy vegetable in the American diet.

Explaining that the study specifically explored the nexus between consuming tomatoes and reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other conditions, the authors added “the evidence also suggests that consumption of tomatoes should be recommended because of the nutritional benefits and because it may be a simple and effective strategy for increasing overall vegetable intake.”

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