A study found that drinking this red drink could reduce blood pressure levels (Image: Getty)
Drinking a particular fruit juice each day could help millions of Brits living with a potentially dangerous health issue. Studies indicate this crimson drink may lower high blood pressure, a complaint that impacts roughly one in three people across the UK.
High blood pressure, its clinical term, means your heart must work harder than it should to pump blood around your system. This puts extra pressure on your heart, arteries and other essential organs over time.
Left unmanaged, it can result in serious health problems, with high blood pressure linked to medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes.
Various factors can cause high blood pressure, with what you eat playing a considerable part. Foods high in salt should definitely be avoided for this reason – as salt causes the body to hold onto water, which then raises blood pressure.
Yet, what you consume could equally have the opposite effect. A study featured in the Food Science and Nutrition journal in 2019 recommended drinking a certain fruit juice daily for this benefit.
It is thought the reduction in blood pressure could be linked to an antioxidant known as lycopene (Image: Getty)
Researchers based in Tokyo, Japan, discovered that consuming unsalted tomato juice every day could significantly bring down blood pressure readings. The research also showed it could lower bad cholesterol, another contributor to heart disease.
The research comprised 481 participants who were provided with unrestricted access to tomato juice throughout a 12-month timeframe. Scientists evaluated cardiovascular risk indicators, including blood pressure readings, serum lipid profiles and glucose tolerance levels, at both the commencement and conclusion of the investigation.
Those diagnosed with hypertension or prehypertension witnessed “significantly lowered” blood pressure readings. Tomato juice intake per day varied from 84 to 215 ml, with the majority of subjects consuming around one bottle (200 ml).
The research authors observed: “Blood pressure (BP) in 94 participants with untreated prehypertension or hypertension was significantly lowered. Further, the serum low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) level in 125 participants with untreated dyslipidemia significantly decreased.
“These beneficial effects were not different between sexes and among the different age groups. No significant difference in lifestyle was found before and after the study. Unsalted tomato juice intake improved systolic and diastolic BP and serum LDL‐C level in local Japanese residents at risk of cardiovascular conditions.”
The investigators proposed that the decrease in blood pressure could be linked to lycopene, an antioxidant found within tomatoes. “Tomatoes contain a variety of bioactive components that make them and their products, including tomato juice, beneficial for health,” they stated.
Read more: 3 measurements that could mean you have ‘higher risk’ of diabetes
Read more: 5 crucial health facts every adult should know to prevent serious health issu
“Above all, lycopene is well known for its strong antioxidant activity and the inhibition of low-density lipoprotein oxidation, which plays a key role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis.
“Several epidemiological studies have suggested that lycopene could contribute to the prevention of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.”
This evidence is further supported by separate research featured in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2023. Researchers found that among individuals who did not have hypertension when the study commenced, those who consumed the greatest quantities of tomatoes (more than 110 grams per day) reduced their overall risk of developing hypertension by 36 per cent, compared with those consuming the smallest amounts (less than 44 grams).
According to the NHS, if you are below 80 years of age, you are usually deemed to have elevated blood pressure if your measurement is either:
- 140/90 or higher when taken by a medical professional
- 135/85 or higher when taken at home
For those aged 80 and above, you are generally regarded as having raised blood pressure if your reading is either:
- 150/90 or higher when taken by a medical professional
- 145/85 or higher when taken at home
Should you have any worries regarding your blood pressure, it is advisable to speak with your GP.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
