Author: Ivan Red Jr.
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
January 27, 2026
It contains lycopene - a powerful antioxidant, 10 times stronger than the especially beneficial for the heart vitamin E.
Tomatoes have countless health benefits, but a special ingredient in the juicy fruit is able to significantly improve the function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease .
That's according to a new study by Cambridge scientists. It was published in the magazine Plos one .
Juicy vegetables contain lycopene - a powerful antioxidant, 10 times stronger than the especially beneficial for the heart vitamin E.
Lycopene is a bright red phytochemical from the group of carotenoid pigments . It is an active ingredient in itself. Its molecule is designed to bind to a free oxygen atom or peroxyl radicals that could otherwise damage cellular DNA.
This substance is probably the strongest chemical agent that can stop the destruction of a free oxygen atom in the blood and tissues.
Lycopene is already known to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers , including prostate cancer, and helps slow the aging of the skin by preventing the so-called. age spots that form as a result of oxidative stress.
Only now, however, is it clear that this substance reduces the risk of heart attack . It inhibits the bad cholesterol LDL, which blocks blood vessels.
In this regard, nutritionists strongly recommend the Mediterranean diet, in which the "main actor" is the tomato. At the same time, they believe that its activity increases when it is garnished with quality olive oil .
Scientists remind that people with heart disease should eat a balanced and appropriate diet. Of course, the tomato is not a substitute for other treatments, but it is a faithful ally in the fight for a long and full life, they said.