End Fatigue

Could Bloody Mary's Prevent Heart Disease?

High dietary intake of tomato juice may lower LDL cholesterol and increase its resistance to oxidation. In a study involving 21 healthy subjects put on a high tomato diet, results indicate that increased dietary intake of tomato products may exert heart protective effects. The high tomato diet was associated with significant reductions in total cholesterol (5.9%) and LDL cholesterol (12.9%), compared with a low tomato diet. The reductions in total and LDL cholesterol were positively correlated with the increases in serum lycopene, beta-carotene, and gamma-carotene concentrations. The "high tomato" group was given 13 ounces of tomato juice plus some ketchup daily. I would take the risk of substituting a dash of Tabasco sauce for the ketchup. As moderate alcohol consumption also helps the heart, this raises an interesting way to stay heart healthy ;-)

Reference:

"Tomato juice decreases LDL cholesterol levels and increases LDL resistance to oxidation," Silaste ML, Horkko S, et al, Br J Nutr, 2007; 98(6): 1251-8.