How your favourite condiment could ‘slash your risk of killer high blood pressure’
KETCHUP could help slash your risk of high blood pressure, a study suggests.
Scientists found eating the equivalent of one large tomato a day lowered someone's chances of getting the killer condition by up to 36 per cent.
The researchers wrote in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology: "Tomato consumption, including tomato-based products, is beneficial in preventing and managing hypertension.
"Higher tomato intake reduces hypertension risk by 36 per cent, and moderate consumption lowers blood pressure."
For three years, they followed 7,056 men and women aged 55 to 80, 5,821 of whom had high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vascular dementia and aneurysms.
Participants were put into four groups depending on their tomato consumption - less than 44g, between 44g and 82g, 82g to 110g, and more than 110g.
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A handful of cherry tomatoes, one large tomato, or a quarter of a tin of chopped tomatoes weighs about 110g.
The team, from the University of Barcelona, discovered that those who ate more tomato-based products had a lower risk of hypertension.
This included raw tomato, tomato sauce and gazpacho - a cold, raw vegetable soup.
Though not mentioned in the study, it could apply to ketchup - though you might have to eat quite a lot of it - and it's important to note some brands have a high sugar content, which has its own health consequences.
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More than 110g of tomatoes a day lowered someone's overall hypertension risk by up to 36 per cent.
For those who already had high blood pressure, especially patient's whose readings only just tipped them into this category, even moderate tomato consumption was associated with a fall in blood pressure.
The authors credited an organic compound called lycopene for the health benefits.
Rosa María Lamuela-Raventós, director of the Research Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, said: "The cardioprotective mechanisms involved in the reduction of blood pressure may in part be attributed to the presence of lycopene in tomatoes."
Co-author Lamuela-Raventós added: "Lycopene, the most plentiful carotenoid in tomato, does not only reduce the angiotensin-converting enzyme and its gene expression, preventing the synthesis of angiotensin 2, but also promotes the generation of nitric oxide in the endothelium [cells that line the blood vessels] — helping lower blood pressure and improving blood flow."
Potassium may also play a role, as it has been found to help counter the damaging effects of salt in people with high blood pressure.
A medium-sized fresh tomato contains about 290milligrams of potassium and 4milligrams of lycopene, while a bowl of tomato soup contains around 25milligrams of lycopene and 280milligrams of potassium, based on USDA estimates.
Other lycopene and potassium-rich foods include watermelon, apricots and cranberries, and bananas, sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
Despite providing compelling evidence, the authors urged people not to treat tomatoes as a "magic food" but rather an "important element of a diverse and healthy diet".
What is high blood pressure?
EVERY blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, shown as one number on top of the other, according to .
The first (top) number is your systolic blood pressure - the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.
The second (or bottom) number is your diastolic blood pressure - the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels between heartbeats when blood is pumped around your heart.
An ideal blood pressure reading is between 90/60mmHg (millimetres of mercury) and 120/80mmHg.
You have high blood pressure if your readings are consistently above 140/90mmHg.
If you're over the age of 80, high blood pressure is considered to be from 150/90mmHg.
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes, the .
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Heart failure
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Aortic aneurysms
- Kidney disease
- Vascular dementia
If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of these health conditions.
Doctors can help you keep yours at safe levels with lifestyle changes and medication.
You might be more at risk if you:
- Are overweight
- Eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
- Do not do enough exercise
- Drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)
- Smoke
- Have a lot of stress
- Are over 65 years old
- Have a relative with high blood pressure
- Are of black African or Black Caribbean descent
- Live in a deprived area
Source: NHS and Blood Pressure UK
Around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. It affects more men than women.
The condition is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks, and is a risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease, and vascular dementia.
In Britain, it's the third biggest risk factor for all disease after smoking and poor diet, according to Public Health England.
High blood pressure is often called a 'silent killer' because it rarely has any symptoms and often goes undiagnosed.
The only way to know you have it is to get your blood pressure measured.
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An ideal blood pressure reading is between 90/60mmHg (millimetres of mercury) and 120/80mmHg.
You have high blood pressure if your readings are consistently above 140/90mmHg.
Other conidments with health-boosting properties
MARMITE can help reduce anxiety and depression, according to scientists at the University of Reading.
MAYONNAISE could protect postmenopausal women against strokes, researchers from Intergroup of Arizona, Phoenix, and the University of Minnesota, found.
MINT SAUCE is critical for eye health and night vision, a study of almost 11,000 women found.
KIMCHI could have positive effects on body weight, body mass index and glucose management, early studies show.
MUSTARD, or mustard seeds, may protect against bacteria and fungi such as E.coli, though evidence is mixed.
CHILLI SAUCE could slash your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, scientists in Italy suggest.