This is good news coming from the findings of a recent study...
The trial
University of Verona researchers believe that 80g of tomato sauce could stop saturated fats from lining the blood vessels and stopping them working effectively.
They have recruited 20 men to take part in a week-long trial. The people were divided into two groups; the participants of the first group were given a fatty dish with a tomato sauce, and the members of the second group ate it without any sauce.
It turned out that even such small amounts of cooked tomatoes were enough to protect the blood vessel walls and prevent the development of endothelial dysfunction, a disorder that usually precedes atherosclerosis. This chronic disease of the elastic and muscular-elastic arteries is very dangerous for the cardiovascular system as the victims of atherosclerosis often face infarcts.
"We hypothesise that tomato sauce can improve the deleterious effects of a high fat meal on vascular function," the authors wrote.
The key: lycopene
The key nutrient is the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene, a carotenoid pigment that provides the tomatoes with their deep rich color, has been found to have various health benefits.
In recent years, scientists have been able to prove that this substance protects the human body from a variety of ailments, including cancer such as prostate, lung and stomach cancer and cardiovascular disease. Lycopene is also believed to lower people's risk of macular degeneration and lowers people's bad cholesterol.
How to Get The Maximum Health Benefits of Eating Tomatoes
It has been found out that the content of lycopene in fresh tomatoes is significantly less than in cooked tomatoes, so the experts recommend using these vegetables after any kitchen processing: cooking, roasting, marinating, etc.
These recipes can give you some more ideas...
Oven roasted tomato sauce
Servings: 4 - Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins - Prep Time: 20 mins - Cook Time: 2 hrs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs large Tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven 400°f. Slice tomatoes in half, set aside. Pour the olive oil onto a large baking sheet and spread it around the sheet. Sprinkle evenly the garlic, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper over the oil. Place the tomatoes cut side down onto the baking sheet. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, or until the skins start to lift from the tomatoes. Allow to cool. Remove the skins and put the sauce into a large bowl and break up the flesh with a fork. Reheat sauce if using immediately.
Spicy pizza sauce
Servings: 1 (1/3 cups)
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, oregano, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Cool.
Nutrition facts per serving - Calories: 206; Calories from fat: 2%; Fat: 0.4g; Saturated fat: 0.1g; Monounsaturated fat: 0.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 9.6g; Carbohydrate: 42.6g; Fiber: 10.3g; Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Iron: 7.3mg; Sodium: 953mg; Calcium: 199mg
Source: http://food.ninemsn.com.au/ , http://geniuspharm.com/, http://www.food.com/recipe, http://www.myrecipes.com/
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