Tomatoes Significantly Reduce Blood Pressure

OMAHA, Neb.Adding more tomatoes and tomato products to a diet may help improve cardiovascular health, according to new findings presented American Dietetic Associations Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston. The research revealed a significant decrease in blood pressure in people with high blood pressure who ate two servings of canned tomato products daily over the course of six weeks.

ConAgra Foods, the maker of Hunts® tomatoes, sponsored a session where Dr. Tissa Kappagoda of the University of California-Davis and Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton of Penn State University reviewed multiple studies, including the 2009 Tomato Products Wellness Council research they co-authored with other medical experts, examining how fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes can reduce heart disease risk factors.

Research suggests a protective relationship between the consumption of tomatoes and tomato products and cardiovascular disease," Kappagoda said. For instance, in a six-week study, people with high blood pressure who consumed two servings of canned tomato products daily experienced a significant decrease in blood pressure."

Another  study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found  lycopene absorption is two to three times greater in canned tomato products than raw tomatoes. Kristin Reimers, Ph.D., nutrition manager, ConAgra Foods, said tomatoes not only contain high levels of carotenoid antioxidants such as lycopene, but also serve as a significant source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium in the American diet.

Calorie for calorie, tomatoes contain more than twice the potassium of other common sources such as bananas, potatoes, milk and orange juice," she said.