Tomato Works as Well as Statins to Lower Cholesterol

Is it possible that the common tomato can do as good a job at lowering cholesterol as statin drugs, and do so for only a fraction of the cost and without horrid side effects? Recent research from Australia is showing the answer to this question is a resounding yes.

These researchers found that 25 mg of lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10%. This is comparable to the effect of statin drugs at low doses in patients with modestly elevated cholesterol levels.

So how many tomatoes would have to be consumed to get 25 mg of lycopene? Surprisingly, drinking about six ounces of tomato juice on a daily basis would do it!

This study evaluated information from other studies done across the globe over a period of more than five decades. It assessed the relationship between lycopene, the phytochemical giving tomatoes their bright red coloration, and cholesterol levels to draw its conclusions.

The researchers credited lycopene for its antioxidant capacity that retards the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, characterized as ‘bad’ cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is supposedly behind atherosclerosis and lipid peroxidation, meaning the degradation of fats, oils and triglycerides by oxygen. Though this cholesterol myth has widely been disrupted, many individuals still feel good about lowering bad cholesterol through utilizing health-boosting, natural solutions.

The study concludes:

“Our meta-analysis suggests that lycopene taken in doses ≥25mg daily is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10% which is comparable to the effect of low doses of statins in patient with slightly elevated cholesterol levels. More research is needed to confirm suggested beneficial effects on total serum cholesterol and systolic blood pressure.”

Article published on naturalsociety.com/