The traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in tomatoes, tomato products, and other carotenoids has been associated with a lower incidence of chronic diseases, including heart disease. Recent scientific studies have shown that people who eat regularly tomatoes and tomato products are less likely to suffer from heart attacks than those who don?t make tomatoes part of their diets.
Tomatoes and the arteries
Tomatoes are crucial in the fight against heart disease because they contain lycopene. Lycopene has been identified as the responsible substance for the antioxidant effects of tomatoes in many studies; recent research suggests that consumption of tomato products prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, the ?bad? guy. Oxidized cholesterol is considered the primary initial step leading to the formation of plaque in the arteries and consequently to heart attacks.
What is lycopene?
Lycopene is the red pigment found in several fruits and vegetables such as guava, rosehips, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and red chilies, but it mainly comes from tomatoes and tomato products. As a powerful antioxidant, lycopene prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol caused by free radicals. Free radicals are highly unstable and destructive molecules that subject our cells to oxidative stress, continuous damage that eventually kills the cells. When radicals kill or damage enough cells in an organism, the organism ages and eventually dies. In a study to investigate the effects of tomato lycopene on the oxidation of cholesterol, Agarwal and colleagues provided the participants one-to-two servings per day of tomato juice, spaghetti sauce, and concentrated lycopene for one week. The study showed an important reduction of oxidized LDL cholesterol.
Lycopene can also reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. For three months, 60 men were fed 60 milligrams of lycopene per day?the equivalent found in 1 kilo of tomatoes. At the end of the treatment period, the results showed a 14 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Absorption of lycopene
An important consideration in studying lycopene is its absorption by our cells. Our tissues have to gulp lycopene from the food we eat and get it inside our cells before they can put it to some use. Research has shown that the level of lycopene found in our organs? tissues is a better indicator of disease prevention than the amount of lycopene we eat. Individuals who have a high concentration of lycopene in their tissues have a lower risk of heart attacks than those who have a low level. In a two-week study conducted by Micozzi, the subjects followed a diet that did not contain lycopene. By the end of the second week, the level of lycopene in the blood of these individuals had decreased by 50 percent and the cholesterol oxidation had increased by 25 percent.
Research has also shown that lycopene is better absorbed when the meal includes some fat.
How to increase absorption of lycopene
Lycopene appears more readily in the blood if the meal includes a source of fat or if the tomatoes have been heated, as in the case of tomato sauce and tomato paste. Heat changes the chemical structure of lycopene and makes it ready for our cells to swallow it up. Once inside the cells, it is deposited in all our organs. A study published in 1998 showed that our cells absorb lycopene better from processed tomato products than from fresh tomatoes.
To increase the level of lycopene in your body tissues you can do several things:
a. Process the tomatoes with heat. An example would be tomato sauce, tomato paste, or tomato soup.
b. Eat fresh tomatoes with fats such as olive oil.
c. Eat products that contain lycopene with other food antioxidants. An example would be eating tomatoes with other vegetables such as in salads or eating a piece of fruit for dessert. Use olive oil and lemon juice as dressing, and you will have the perfect combination of lycopene and antioxidants.
d. In a study conducted by Tyssandier and colleagues, the subjects were supplemented with 96 grams of tomato puree per day for three months. The volunteers then avoided foods rich in tomatoes for the next three weeks. The results showed that including tomato puree in a regular diet significantly increased blood lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein. Avoiding tomato products for three weeks decreased the level of all antioxidants as well as the total antioxidant capacity of the blood.
Ways to Include More Tomatoes in Your Meals
a. Make it a point to always have tomatoes at home. Bright red, ripe tomatoes have more lycopene than green or yellow.
b. Always include tomatoes in your salads. Use olive oil and lemon or vinegar as dressing.
c. Eat pasta with tomato sauce.
d. Add some tomato slices to your sandwich.
e. Rub half a tomato on the bread you eat with your meal.
f. Always keep canned tomatoes??no salt added??on hand. They are very handy when you are in a hurry and need them for soups or sauces. One of my favorite brands is Muir Glen Organic? ?no salt added,? of course.
g. Whenever possible, visit your local farmers? market and look for locally grown tomatoes.
Is pizza a good combination of tomato and fat?
Although pizza is not the ideal combination of fat and lycopene because the fat in cheese is mainly saturated, the wrong type for our arteries, you can eat pizza in moderation. Ask the waiter or cook to go easy on the cheese and hold the pepperoni and ham.
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