Eating Tomatoes Can Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes

Eating Tomatoes Can Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Annalee_Chambers]Annalee Chambers 

Heart disease and strokes are leading causes of death and permanent disability each year. They are responsible for hundreds of thousands of adults needlessly losing their lives each year. Thousands of adults also become partially or totally disabled after a having a heart attack or stroke. The risks of having a heart or stroke can be reduced by lifestyle changes. A few risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and circulation problems all of which diets play a major part. Consequently, many of these deaths and disabilities could be prevented or reduced by eliminating the consumption of foods which are known to increase the risks of any of these conditions and increasing the consumption of health promoting foods. 

One food that excels in promoting heart health is tomatoes. Tomatoes are remarkable in their ability to positively affect heart health. They are among the most popular foods consumed which contain a wide range of health-promoting benefits. There are thousands of varieties of tomatoes available all over the world. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They range from small cherry tomatoes to large beefsteak tomatoes. There are standard varieties and even heirloom tomatoes. They are available in various colors such as yellow, orange, green and red. 

Tomatoes are acclaimed for the heart health benefits they provide. Tomatoes are known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They have also been shown to help prevent unwanted clumping together of the platelet cells in the blood. This is a very important factor in lowering the risk of heart problems like atherosclerosis. They have also been shown to reduce stroke risk. 

Tomatoes are known for their high antioxidant content. They contain a very rich concentration of the potent antioxidant, lycopene which is the red pigment in tomatoes. Lycopene has the ability to neutralize free radicals that can damage cells in the body. Lycopene excels as the most effective antioxidant promoter of heart health. Lycopene may have specific properties that enable it to protect cells in a way other antioxidants may not. Sufficient levels of lycopene have been shown to lessen the chances of those suffering an ischemic stroke. This type of stroke is caused by a blood clot and it is the most common type of stroke. Tomatoes also contain phytonutrients which support heart health. Additionally, they also contain high amounts of vitamin C, potassium, iron, manganese, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

Those seeking to reduce their chances of having a heart attack or stroke should include tomatoes or tomato products in their diets on a daily basis or at least several times each week. Choose from a wide variety of fresh tomatoes. canned tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauces, sundried tomatoes and other varieties of tomato products. You can see that by simply choosing to each heart healthy foods such as tomatoes on a regular basis you can significantly reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This is the reason it is so important to include heart healthy foods in your diet.

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Annalee Chambers is a trucking industry veteran. She is also knowledgeable about health and natural healing modalities. 

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Eating-Tomatoes-Can-Help-Prevent-Heart-Attacks-and-Strokes&id=7409135] Eating Tomatoes Can Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes