Scientists have found a way of extracting the tomato’s powerful antioxidant, lycopene, to create a health supplement that fights ‘furring’ of the arteries
One of the best ways to up your intake of lycopene, the antioxidant that gives the tomato its distinctive orangey-red colour, is have lots of tomato sauces, as cooking tomatoes in a little oil boosts absorption.
Researchers from the Cambridge University spin-off biotech company, Cambridge Theranostics Ltd (CTL), say the ‘tomato in a pill’ will help prevent the oxidation of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol that can lead to breakaway plaques entering the blood system and potentially causing a heart attack or stroke.
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant
Their product, Arteronon, doesn’t need approval from the medicine regulators as it is classified as a food supplement. But in response to its launch at the 2009 British Cardiac Society conference, Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said:
“As always, we caution people to wait for any new drug or modified ‘natural’ product to be clinically proven to offer benefits before taking it. It will take some time, and several clinical trials, to provide such evidence for Ateronon.
“In the meantime, our advice to heart disease patients or those at high risk is to rely on proven medications prescribed by their doctor, and aim to get the benefits of a Mediterranean diet by eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg.”