X-Message-Number: 30729
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 10:44:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: 
Subject: Natural antioxidants from tomato extract reduce blood pressur...

[  Potential life extending strategies do not have to depend on
controversial ingestion of large numbers of supplements, or starving
oneself. The former can be expensive unless care in selection is
exercised (eg: vitamin D, niacin), while the latter may even be
dangerous, particularly in the aged, where increased caloric intake is
actually associated with improved survival.
   The cheapest source of tomato antioxidants in most supermarkets, that
I could find is canned crushed tomatoes. This is priced the same as
canned whole tomatoes, but contains twice as much tomato material. The
active ingredient(s) in tomatoes effective in lowering blood pressure are
presently unknown.]

Am Heart J. 2006 Jan;151(1):100.
Natural antioxidants from tomato extract reduce blood pressure in patients
with grade-1 hypertension: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.
    Engelhard YN, Gazer B, Paran E. Hypertension Unit, Faculty of Health
Sciences, Soroka University Medical Centre, Ben Gurion, University of the
Negev, 84101 Beer Sheva, Israel.
    BACKGROUND: Treatment of hypertension (HT) can reduce the risk for
cardiovascular diseases. Tomato extract contains carotenoids such as
lycopene, beta carotene, and vitamin E, which are known as effective
antioxidants, to inactivate free radicals, and to slow the progression of
atherosclerosis. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of
tomato extract on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in grade-1 HT, on
serum lipoproteins, plasma homocysteine, and oxidative stress markers.
METHODS: This study is a single-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-one
subject with grade-1 HT, without concomitant diseases, who required no
antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drug therapy, who were recruited from
primary care clinics, completed the trial. Subjects entered a 4-week placebo
period, then an 8-week treatment period with tomato extract, 250 mg
Lyc-O-Mato, and a 4-week control period with placebo. RESULTS: Systolic
blood pressure decreased from 144 (SE +/- 1.1) to 134 mm Hg (SE +/- 2, P <
.001), and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 87.4 (SE +/- 1.2) to 83.4
mm Hg (SE +/- 1.2, P < .05). No changes in blood pressure were demonstrated
during placebo periods. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, a lipid
peroxidation products marker, decreased from 4.58 (SE +/- 0.27) to 3.81
nmol/mg (SE +/- 0.32, P < .05). No significant changes were found in lipid
parameters. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term treatment with antioxidant-rich tomato
extract can reduce blood pressure in patients with grade-1 HT, naive to drug
therapy. The continuous effect of this treatment and the long-term
beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors still need to be
demonstrated.
PMID: 16368299

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=30729