Heart - A Mater a Day Keeps Cardiologists Away

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A tomato a day keeps the cardiologist away. Ketchup and other processed

tomato products can help prevent heart disease and skin cancer thanks to

the magic ingredient lycopene.

 

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston conducted

a five-year study of 28,000 women and concluded that eating something

with tomatoes in it every day may lower your risk for heart disease by

up to 50 percent, reports MSNBC. Yes, ketchup on your french fries counts!

 

Lycopene is what gives certain vegetables and fruits their red color.

While tomatoes have more lycopene than any other food, other sources

include watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit, and guava.

 

People whose diets are rich in this potent antioxidant also have a lower

risk for a variety of cancers, especially cancers of the prostate,

cervix, skin, bladder, breast, lung, and digestive tract. Eating a lot

of lycopene-rich foods also might help protect skin from sun damage,

notes MSNBC.

 

Doctors aren't sure how much lycopene we need to protect our hearts, but

it seems that eating seven to 10 servings of lycopene-rich foods each

week is best. The older we get, the more we need. Lycopene is best

absorbed into our blood when the food is cooked or processed, rather

than raw. Why? The heat helps break down the cell walls, which releases

the lycopene and makes it easier for the body to absorb.

 

That means you should choose tomato paste, tomato sauce, canned

tomatoes, and even ketchup over fresh, raw tomatoes. Eat up! There is no

evidence that lycopene is harmful at any dose.