Tomatoes and lycopene: benefits for heart health

Tomatoes are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a range of antioxidants. One of these antioxidant compounds is called lycopene, which offers many heart health benefits.
Lycopene is not an essential nutrient, but it is not produced by the body and must be obtained through diet. It is the main carotenoid that gives vegetables like tomatoes their red pigmentation. Lycopene is also found in other red, pink, and orange foods such as watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papaya.
Many studies have examined the health effects of lycopene consumption and found that it has a lot to offer. One of the main areas of interest is heart health.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, and many people have at least one risk factor for developing them. There is growing evidence suggesting that eating more lycopene is a great way to support heart health through diet.
A 2017 review published in Atherosclerosis, which included 21 studies, examined the available evidence on the influence of tomato and lycopene intake on cardiovascular function.
The authors found that tomatoes significantly helped reduce levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and improve endothelial function. They also found that lycopene supplementation lowered systolic blood pressure. Overall, the authors suggested that there was promising evidence to recommend nutritional strategies aimed at improving heart health using tomatoes.
More recently, a 2019 meta-analysis including 25 studies conducted on adults examined the associations between lycopene and tomato intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers concluded that people who ate a lot of tomatoes also had high serum concentrations of lycopene.
They also found that individuals with high tomato consumption or high blood levels of lycopene had a 26% lower risk of stroke, a 37% lower risk of mortality, and a 14% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lycopene appears to support heart health by acting on several key risk factors related to cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis
Lycopene is thought to play a role in preventing atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to blockages and heart disease. Some studies have even found that people showing signs of carotid atherosclerosis have significantly lower blood concentrations of lycopene.

Endothelial Health
Lycopene intake also improves endothelial function thanks to its ability to reduce oxidative stress, as observed in studies conducted on both animals and humans. The endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels.
When endothelial function is healthy, the blood vessels dilate and promote optimal blood flow, benefiting heart health.

Blood Pressure
Lycopene has been observed to lower systolic blood pressure. A 2013 meta-analysis found that at least 12 mg per day of supplemental lycopene may be effective for this purpose. For reference, a medium tomato (125 grams) contains about 3.2 mg of lycopene.
Another meta-analysis from 2021 found that standardized tomato extract was effective in significantly reducing systolic blood pressure compared to a placebo.

Cholesterol
Although more studies are needed, lycopene may also be helpful in reducing potentially problematic cholesterol levels.
A 2011 review of 12 studies concluded that lycopene taken in doses of at least 25 mg per day is effective in lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol by about 10%. This effect is comparable to the low-dose statin medications often prescribed to people with mildly elevated cholesterol levels.

Including tomatoes in the diet is a simple way to increase lycopene intake. Raising blood lycopene levels may prove beneficial for the heart by acting on factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and circulation, all of which are involved in cardiovascular disease risk.

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The Camone® tomato, an Italian excellence, is an exclusive tomato variety from our islands and is protected by a registered trademark.
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