British scientists say they have found a way to pack the power of an antioxidant found in ripe tomato skins into a 7 mg pill to control cholesterol.
Lycopene, the substance that makes tomatoes red, blocks the so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol that clogs arteries, and is believed to protect against heart attacks, strokes, and even cancer. The new pill promises to make the health benefits of tomatoes, which are a large part of heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diets, available to everyone.
Until researchers at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, developed the new highly potent pill, lycopene provided through previous supplements was absorbed poorly. Cambridge scientists overcame the absorption problem by turning to a special kind of Italian tomatoes called tangerine tomatoes, which contain an extra-potent form of lycopene.
The new pill, called “Ateronon,” contains the “super” lycopene, plus other natural compounds.
The initial trials of the pill, which involved about 150 people with heart disease, demonstrated that Ateronon can reduce oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to near zero within two months.
Neuroscientist Peter Kirkpatrick, who will lead further research at Addenbrooke’s Hospital at Cambridge, told BBC News that the supplement could be much more effective than statin drugs now used to treat high cholesterol, which he said are ineffective in almost two-thirds of people.
Trials also will be carried out at Harvard Medical School. Ateronon, which is already available in the UK, is being sold as a dietary supplement for about 1 pound (about $1.65 U.S.) a pill.
“As always, we caution people to wait for any new drug or modified ‘natural product’ to be clinically proven to offer benefits before taking it,” professor Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation told the BBC. “It will take some time, and several clinical trials, to provide such evidence for Ateronon. In the meantime, our advice to heart disease patients or those at high risk is to rely on proven medications prescribed by their doctor, and aim to get the benefits of a Mediterranean diet by eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg.”
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