Learn how tomatoes strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure.
Did you eat lycopene today? If you eat a green salad with freshly chopped tomatoes, not only have you gotten a healthy dose of this powerful antioxidant, but you've also taken a significant step toward lowering your blood pressure. A recent double-blind study conducted in Israel has confirmed what oven-healthy Italians have enjoyed for centuries — tomatoes (and tomato sauce) reduce blood pressure and heart disease risk.
The Israeli study was led by Dr. Esther Baran, head of the Hypertension Unit at Soroka Medical Center. This includes patients who are already being treated for high blood pressure but are not responding well to medication. Dr. Paran advised patients to supplement with tomato juice. The results were a significant drop in blood pressure after four weeks.
Tomatoes contain lycopene which lowers blood pressure. This powerful antioxidant is at the heart of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli company Lycomato, which contain high concentrations of lycopene in each fruit. Other antioxidants in tomatoes help prevent heart disease, making this a superfood. It helps keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, which sticks to arteries and narrows the pathway leading to increased blood pressure.
Even during peak growing season, it can be difficult to consume four whole tomatoes each day, the amount recommended to have a positive effect on blood pressure. Here are some ways to reap the benefits of tomatoes without eating them straight off the vine.
1. Make the chili. Using tomato puree, a concentrated form of tomatoes, as the base of your chili uses up the antioxidants without the bulk of whole tomatoes. Add some ultra-lean and high-protein ground bison and kidney beans with minced garlic onions and peppers for a heart-healthy main meal and a full day of tomatoes.
2. Red your pasta sauce with tomatoes, tomato paste, and olive oil to saute garlic and onions as using olive oil with tomatoes improves the curing quality. The tomato paste used in making the sauce is 10 times more nutritious than a single tomato.
3. As a side dish to any of these entrees, have a fresh salad and top it with a whole sliced tomato. You get about a quarter of your tomato intake right there.
4. Drink tomato juice. It's a good idea to make your fresh juice to control sodium. Store-bought juices are high in sugar and sodium-based preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can make some incredible vegetable juices to your taste by adding carrots, celery, and some low-sodium spices.
5. Take a tomato supplement. If you cannot stomach tomatoes, a 200 mg supplement provides the equivalent of four tomatoes as recommended.
An Israeli study found that adding tomatoes to your diet can lower systolic blood pressure by 10 points and diastolic blood pressure by 4 points. Any way you slice it, tomatoes strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure
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