A nutrition study finds that consuming one cup of this per day was enough to reduce LDL cholesterol as much a low dose of statin drugs.

Analysis of research studies found that a diet that includes a daily dose of tomatoes produced about the same cholesterol-lowering result as taking low doses of statin drugs – without the muscular weakness and other serious side-effects.

The study, which is published in the international scientific journal Maturitas, was a meta-analysis of 12 trials. It found that daily consumption of about 1 cup of tomato juice or 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato paste reduced LDL cholesterol by 10 percent (Ried & Fackler, 2010).

The cholesterol-lowering effect of tomatoes is thanks to their high content of lycopene. Lycopene blocks the same cholesterol-producing enzyme as statins.

Add more tomatoes to your diet by putting fresh tomatoes on salads, eating tomato-based soups and enjoying homemade tomato sauces.

You will find 7 tomato-containing recipes in the 7 Day-Junk Foods to Super Foods Challenge. Download it here.

Inside the 7-Day Challenge you will find the following recipes that will help you meet your tomato intake for the day.

♥ Zesty Tomato Soup
♥ Bean & Barley Soup
♥ Dad’s Easy Chili
♥ Baked Zucchini
♥ Easy Rice and Beans
♥ Green Cabbage Slaw
♥ Southern Comfort Salad
♥ Kickin’ Red and Black Bean Soup

Fuhrman, J. (2014). The end of dieting: How to live for life. Harper Collins.

Ried, K., & Fakler, P. (2010). Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials. Maturitas, 68(4). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21163596

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About the Author

Dr. Becky Gillaspy, DC graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.