Tomato Products Wellness Council
NEWS RELEASE 
MARCH 28, 2012 
For Immediate Release
Contact: ALEC WASSON
GO_RED@TOMATOWELLNESS.COM
831.661.0167
Tomato Products Wellness Council
Study Links Tomato Products with Lowering Cholesterol Levels 
and Glycemic Control 
APTOS, Calif. (March 28, 2011) - Eating more tomato products may offer improvements in lipid levels, as well as glycemic control, according to new  research published in The Journal of Nutrition.  Analyzing data from the Women's Health Study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts found that consuming at least 10 servings of tomato-based food products per week (compared with consuming less than 1.5 servings per week) was associated with: 
  • 31% lower likelihood of having an elevated total cholesterol level of 240+ mg/dL
  • 40% lower likelihood of having an elevated LDL cholesterol of 160+ mg/dL
  • 66% lower likelihood of having an elevated HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c) of 6%

The research team, led by Howard D. Sesso, ScD, Associate Epidemiologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, examined the association between tomato-based food product intake and coronary biomarkers in the Women's Health Study.  According to Sesso, "We found that women consuming 10 or more servings of tomato-based food products each week had small but significant improvements in the levels of total cholesterol, the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c compared with women consuming less than 1.5 servings of tomato-based food products each week.  The findings from this large cross-sectional study in more than 27,000 middle-aged and older women provide important preliminary data on the potential favorable associations of consuming greater amounts of tomato-based food products as part of a heart-healthy diet.  While an important first step, additional research is needed to confirm the observed associations, plus understand the specific mechanisms through which tomato-based food products may have a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease."

 

Tomato products, such as canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, tomato soup, tomato juice, salsa and ketchup, are the country's major source of dietary lycopene, the powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color.  Lycopene, along with a symphony of nutrients including vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber, may be at the root of the health benefits linked with consuming more tomato products.  "Adding more tomatoes to your diet is an easy way to not only boost your vegetable intake, but to add more disease protective nutrients to your day.  Since tomato products are economical and easy to use, I suggest that people include them at least a few times a week in dishes like pasta, enchiladas, soups, stews, chili, and casseroles," says Sharon Palmer, RD, a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author. 

If you'd like to learn more about the cardiovascular benefits of tomato products, please visit the Tomato Products Wellness Council website at www.TomatoWellness.com and the Facebook Page: Make it Red with Tomato Product! to discover a wealth of information on health, science, recipes, and cooking with tomato products.

 

Study Citation:

Howard D. Sesso, Lu Wang, Paul M Ridker, and Julie E. Buring. Tomato-based food products are related to clinically modest improvements in selected coronary biomarkers in women. J Nutr. 2012 Feb;142(2):326-33. Epub 2012 Jan 5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22223578

 

 
The Tomato Products Wellness Council continues to be the voice of the united tomato products industry, from the growers, producers, manufacturers, and large brands. We fund, monitor, coordinate and collect all of the tomato research currently going on and make it available on our website, www.tomatowellness.com. Additionally we have news, recipes and videos to help educate and promote the benefits of tomato products. 
 
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