Finnish researchers have found that eating tomatoes, which contain high levels of the antioxidant lycopene, is associated with a lower risk of stroke.
Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland found that people with the highest amounts of lycopene in their blood were 55 per cent less likely to have a stroke than people with the lowest amounts.
Their findings have been published in the 9 October issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study involved 1,031 men in Finland between the ages of 46 and 65. The level of lycopene in their blood was tested at the start of the study and they were followed for an average of 12 years. During that time, 67 men had a stroke.
Among the men with the lowest levels of lycopene, 25 of 258 men had a stroke. Among those with the highest levels of lycopene, 11 of 259 men had a stroke. When researchers looked at just strokes due to blood clots, the results were even stronger. Those with the highest levels of lycopene were 59 per cent less likely to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels.
Study author Jouni Karppi said: “This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of stroke. The results support the recommendation that people get more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which would likely lead to a major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to previous research.”
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