Consuming  a specific tomato extract pill, on a daily basis, can help significantly improve the health of blood vessels in those with cardiovascular disease.

Southern Europe boasts a notably low rate of heart disease. This has been attributed to the southern European diet of mainly fruits, vegetables, and olive oil. Recent studies have suggested this so-called “Mediterranean” diet contributes to the region’s low rates of heart disease, including stroke and heart attack.

Thus, researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust looked at the role lycopene plays in the correlation between the southern European diet and lower rates of  heart disease. Lycopene,  found in tomatoes and other produce quite popular in the Mediterranean diet, is a potent antioxidant significantly more powerful than vitamin. The potency of this antioxidant seems to be intensified when it comes in a pureed form, such as in sauce or ketchup, or when mixed with olive oil.

Until now, exactly how lycopene lowers the risk of heart disease has been unclear. Dr. Joseph Cheriyan, consultant clinical pharmacologist and physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and his colleagues have  sought to tackle that particular challenge.

In their studies, researchers discovered that 7 mg of lycopene as oral supplementation improved the function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease. This supplement improved the response of blood vessels to acetylcholine (which prompts the release of nitric oxide, a blood vessel dilator), by over half, compared to those taking a placebo pill.

“There’s a wealth of research that suggests that the Mediterranean diet – which includes lycopene found in tomatoes and other fruit as a component – is good for our cardiovascular health. But so far, it’s been a mystery what the underlying mechanisms could be,” said Cheriyan in a statement. The research of Dr. Cheriyan and his Addenbrooke Hospital colleagues appears to take us one step closer to discovering those underlying mechanisms.

The findings of the study are published in the journal PLOS One.