Do Tomatoes Prevent Strokes?
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: October 8, 2012
A new study finds there may be big health benefits to eating tomatoes.
Researchers followed about 1000 men in Finland and tested their blood for lycopene, found in tomatoes and tomato based foods. People with the highest amounts of lycopene in their blood were 55-percent less likely to have a stroke.
Nutritionists say lycopene is an antioxidant, so it may help prevent damage to the walls of our blood vessels.
You can get more lycopene from tomatoes if you cook them. It breaks down the tomato's cell walls and makes it easier for your body to absorb the antioxidents.
More research is needed to confirm the study's results. But experts say we should all eat more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to stay healthy. The study is in the journal Neurology.
Researchers followed about 1000 men in Finland and tested their blood for lycopene, found in tomatoes and tomato based foods. People with the highest amounts of lycopene in their blood were 55-percent less likely to have a stroke.
Nutritionists say lycopene is an antioxidant, so it may help prevent damage to the walls of our blood vessels.
You can get more lycopene from tomatoes if you cook them. It breaks down the tomato's cell walls and makes it easier for your body to absorb the antioxidents.
More research is needed to confirm the study's results. But experts say we should all eat more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to stay healthy. The study is in the journal Neurology.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.