tomates_92845A CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY STUDY, REAFFIRMS THE PRESENCE OF THE Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant GREAT ALLY FOR HEALTH.

Tomatoes may help prevent coronary disease and improve type, according to a study prepared by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the founding of hospitals that academic institution.

According to this research, a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes could contribute to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet derivatives. Like this, Experts believe that a daily dose of tomato sauce "ketchup" could significantly improve the functioning of blood vessels in patients with heart problems.

To reach these conclusions, Participants in the study had to take a pill with a supplement called "Ateronon", It is containing seven milligrams of the "lycopene" ingredient derived from tomato, and it is responsible for the color of this fruit.

This plant pigment is ten times more potent than vitamin E and previous studies have shown to be more potent if consumed puree, salsas, fried tomato, Crushed tomato, ketchup and juices. In ripe tomato, the majority carotenoid is lycopene that contains approximately 83%.

However, scientists at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Hospital -Foundation Public Health of the University of Cambridge, which was supported by Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation and Comprehensive Biomedical Research Center- by which they were able to demonstrate a mechanism by which they believe that lycopene reduces the risk.

Scientific evidence exists proving a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables and olive oil, It is beneficial to health.

To carry out the study, a subsidiary company of the University of Cambridge, la “Cambridge Theranostics” (CTL), He developed his own "tomato pill".

To test its effects, a team from the University of Cambridge recruited 36 volunteers with coronary heart disease to be subjected to health checks and those who were given a pill a day, either tomato or placebo, without specifying which was which.

After evaluating the results of the experiment, The researchers found that in patients with coronary problems tomato pill improved his forearm blood flow significantly compared to those who took the placebo, in which no differences were observed.

Regarding this mechanism, The doctor. joseph Cheriyan, clinical pharmacologist consultant, doctor at Addenbrooke's Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge said "there is a lot of research that suggests that the Mediterranean diet which includes this lycopene in tomatoes and other fruits as component- It is good for our cardiovascular health. But until now, It has been a mystery what the underlying mechanisms could be ".

As reported by the University of Cambridge, although patients with cardiovascular disease were taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs), still they had a relatively altered function of the inner layer-the endothelium of blood vessels- compared to healthy volunteers.

This function is determined by the response of blood vessels in the forearm to a naturally occurring molecule called acetylcholine. And it is that endothelial function predicts future events, so that a healthy endothelium is an important factor in preventing the development of heart disease.

In this connection, the researchers found that oral supplementation 7 mg of lycopene improved and normalized endothelial function in patients, but not in healthy volunteers.

Like this, it became clear that lycopene improves blood vessel response to acetylcholine (which it stimulates the release of nitric oxide, which it is a dilator of blood vessels) more than half (53%) compared to baseline in those who took the pill after correction of the effects of placebo.

It should be noted that the constriction of blood vessels is one of the key factors that can lead to heart attack and cerebrovascular accident, However, the supplement had no effect on blood pressure, arterial stiffness or lipid levels.

"We have clearly demonstrated that lycopene improves the function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease", He said Dr. Cheriyan.

"This reinforces the need for a healthy diet in people at risk for heart disease and stroke. A daily pill tomato is not a substitute for other treatments, but can provide additional benefits when taken with other medicines ", he added, clarifying that, anyway, They can not ensure a reduction in heart disease since it is necessary to investigate further test results with more care.

Cheriyan's stance was backed by Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, who he noted that "more studies are needed to understand whether the beneficial effects observed in this study small translate into clinical benefit for patients at risk".