Tomatoes tied to lower stroke risk

Eating tomatoes may help to reduce to risk of stroke, according to researchers in Finland. The key factor appears to be the antioxidant lycopene that tomatoes are high in. The study, involving more than 1000 middle-aged men, found that those with the highest levels of lycopene in their blood had a 55 per cent lower chance of suffering a stroke. The level of lycopene was tested at the start of the study and participants were followed for an average of 12 years. Among the 258 men with the lowest levels of lycopene, 25 had a stroke. Among the 259 with the highest levels, 11 had a stroke. The correlation between lycopene levels and stroke risk was even stronger when the researchers only included strokes due to blood clots. Those with the highest levels had a 59 per cent lower risk of stroke from a blood clot than those with the lowest levels of the antioxidant. “This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of stroke,” said study author Dr Jouni Karppi at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. During the study 67 men suffered strokes in total. It also looked at blood levels of the antioxidants alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol, but found no association between the blood levels and risk of stroke.