Tomatoes Cut Cholesterol and Heart Disease
By Michelle Fabio
Add another reason to eat tomatoes on your list.
A Finland research study has found that LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels dropped by nearly 13 percent in 21 healthy volunteers after tomato products were added to their daily diet for three weeks.
Subjects in the study consumed 30 mg of tomato ketchup and 400 ml of tomato juice a day; at the end of the three weeks, total cholesterol levels dropped by 5.9 percent while the LDL levels specifically were reduced by 12.9 percent.
The study’s results are important in that they demonstrate yet another way that the consumption of tomatoes is beneficial to overall health.
High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which means that according to this new research published in the British Journal of Nutrition, tomatoes are not only tasty, they’re heart smart.
Indeed, tomatoes, once thought to be poisonous, are turning out to be one of the healthiest foods available—and this is great news for those of us who already love them.
Enjoy!
