Khaberni - Researchers reveal an important health benefit of a simple daily drink that may help millions reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world.
High blood pressure is a serious health condition that forces the heart to work harder to pump blood to different parts of the body, which over time leads to vascular fatigue and increases the probability of strokes and heart diseases.
High blood pressure is associated with several factors, most notably diet. Excessive sodium intake contributes to fluid retention inside the body and raises blood pressure levels. Therefore, it is generally advised to limit salty foods and adopt a healthy and balanced diet.
In this context, a Japanese study showed that drinking unsalted tomato juice daily can significantly lower blood pressure and also helps reduce harmful cholesterol levels, one of the primary causes of heart disease.
The study included 481 participants who freely consumed tomato juice for a full year, where researchers measured blood pressure, blood fat levels, and glucose tolerance at the beginning and end of the study to monitor the drink's impact on their health.
The results indicated that participants with high blood pressure or in pre-hypertension stages recorded a clear reduction in their readings, with an average daily consumption ranging between 84 and 215 ml, while most of them settled for one bottle a day equivalent to 200 ml.
The researchers explained that blood pressure decreased for 94 participants, and harmful cholesterol levels declined for 125 individuals suffering from lipid disorders, confirming that these benefits varied neither with age nor gender, and were not associated with lifestyle changes.
The research team attributed these results to the substance "lycopene" found in tomatoes, a strong antioxidant that helps prevent the oxidation of harmful cholesterol, reducing the risk of arterial sclerosis and heart diseases.
These results were supported by a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, which indicated a 36% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure among people who consume more than 110 grams of tomatoes daily compared to those who consume less.
