The Daily Mail reports that a new study has found tomatoes help lower high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and their effects may be comparable to those of a low dose of statins. Tomatoes are remarkably effective at lowering blood pressure.
Australian researchers found that lycopene can lower levels of so-called "bad cholesterol," or low-density lipoprotein, in the blood. However, even eating one tomato a day does not provide enough lycopene, so researchers suggest people should try eating tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is rich in lycopene, and it is not difficult to consume 50 grams of it daily with pasta or pizza. Of course, it can also be consumed as a drink; if more than 25 milligrams of lycopene are consumed daily, "bad cholesterol" levels can be lowered by about 10%.
Tomato and Egg Toast
The researchers pointed out that lycopene is equivalent to a low-dose medication, without side effects, it does not cause muscle aches nor damage nerves. Lycopene is also a powerful antioxidant, and it is also found in fruits such as watermelon, guava, papaya, and apricot, although the lycopene content in these substances is lower.
Taiwan has no cock claws