Tomato extract helps lower blood pressure

A dietary supplement derived from tomatoes may help treat moderately elevated blood pressure. A daily dose of tomato helps lower blood pressure among men and women with mild hypertension. The supplement, sold as Lyc-O-Mato, contains several plant compounds found in tomatoes. Among them is lycopene, an antioxidant that some studies suggest may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants, such as lycopene and vitamins C and E, help neutralise oxygen free radicals - molecules that are a natural byproduct of metabolism that can damage body cells over time. This oxidative stress is thought to contribute to a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease. The antioxidant effects of the tomato extract may explain its apparent benefit on blood pressure. Researchers from the University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel, studied adults aged 30 to 70 years with stage 1 hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure between 140 and 159 mm Hg, and a diastolic pressure between 90 and 99 mm Hg. Blood pressure is considered normal when it is below 120/80; anything between that and 140/90 is considered pre-hypertension. Study participants spent 4 weeks taking a placebo, or inactive, capsule each day, after which they were given a tomato extract capsule every day for 8 weeks. Finally, they spent another 4 weeks on placebo capsules. During the treatment period, the group's average systolic blood pressure fell from 144 to 134 mm Hg, while their diastolic pressure dipped from 87.4 to 83.4 mm Hg. At the same time, blood samples showed that certain markers of oxidative stress had declined - suggesting that the supplement's antioxidant activity was responsible for the blood pressure benefit. But a person would need to take about four tomatoes to get the nutrients in one tomato extract capsule. In addition, lycopene and other antioxidant compounds in tomatoes are fat-soluble, so they are more readily absorbed when taken with the oil used in the capsule. However, larger and longer-term studies are still needed to determine where tomato extracts fit into high blood pressure management.