Lycopene May Curb Stroke Risk

Lycopene May Curb Stroke Risk
A study published October 9, 2012 in Neurology, found that men with the highest serum concentration of lycopene were far less likely to have a stroke than men who had lower levels of lycopene in their system.

That sounds like a lot of tomatoes and tomato-based products had to be eaten. In reality, the results support the recommendation that people should get more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Lycopene is an antioxidant that has been proven to decrease oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL cholesterol. LDL is known as the “bad” cholesterol which is the first step of cerebrovascular problems. Lycopene can reduce inflammation, inhibit cholesterol synthesis, improve immune function, prevents platelet aggregation and thrombosis. All of this may decrease the risk of stroke.

The study investigated the association of carotenoids, retinol and alpha-tocopherol, in 1031 Finnish men aged 46 to 65 years old. The study included a follow-up of 12 years. Men in the highest quartile of serum lycopene were significantly less lightly to have any stroke or ischemic stroke than men in the lowest quartile of lycopene.

It sounds like we need to be sure to add our tomatoes to the salads, sandwiches and anything else you eat and enjoy.

image courtesy of: www.online.wsj.com

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