July/August 2006
HEALTH BYTES

Tomatoes may lower blood pressure

An extract derived from tomatoes can treat mild hypertension, according to a small study. In the study, researchers found that volunteers who took a combination of lycopene and other compounds extracted from tomatoes showed an average decrease in systolic pressure of 10 points and an average decrease in diastolic pressure of 4 points. A number of previous studies have suggested that lycopene, an antioxidant, helps reduce the risk of heart disease.

American Heart Journal, January 2006