Tomato Extract May Inhibit LDL Cholesterol Oxidation

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Building on past research into the beneficial effects of tomato ingredients on cardiovascular health, a new study published in Food & Nutrition Research suggests Cardiomato, a carotenoid-rich tomato extract, may inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which is often associated with heart disease. Cardiomato supplier Lycored (Be'er Sheva, Israel) says the study “furthers the assertion that whole-food extracts are more effective than single, standalone ingredients, such as lycopene,” as Cardiomato is a whole-food tomato extract.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 146 healthy, normal-weight adults aged 18–70 who were randomized to consume a daily dose of Cardiomato or a placebo for two weeks. The tomato extract was standardized to a 1:1 ratio of lycopene and phytosterols (15 mg), in addition to other tocopherols, tomato carotenoids, and beta carotene. Both the placebo and the tomato extract were administered in soft-gel capsules.

Participants consumed a high-fat meal at the beginning and the end of the intervention period, with researchers measuring oxidized LDL, glucose, insulin, and triglyceride response at eight hours after each meal. They found that the Cardiomato group experienced significant improvements to oxidized LDL response after the high-fat meal compared to placebo at the end of the experimental period. And while change to glucose, insulin, and trifylceride response were not found to be statistically significant between the tomato-extract group and the placebo group, researchers suggested that “together, they may suggest a trend of favorable effect on metabolic outcomes after a high-fat meal.”

Lycored noted that the study findings are particularly notable for revealing that its carotenoid-rich tomato extract may regulate the stress response of LDL oxidation that frequently occurs after eating, thereby “improving the metabolic picture following a meal,” according to Karin Hermoni, PhD, category manager for Lycored.

“We’ve discovered that our standardized tomato extract for heart, Cardiomato, can affect multiple parameters effecting cardiovascular health, such as blood pressure and endothelial function, but there is a particular amount of enthusiasm around this latest research,” said Hermoni, in the study announcement. “The fact that this study shows a [carotenoid-rich tomato extract] can effectively reduce LDL oxidation and manage the stress response we are all experiencing almost every day of our lives is great news.”

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com