In a study using rats, scientists compared the ability of whole tomatoes, tomato paste, or lycopene extract from tomatoes to correct several cardiovascular risk factors, such as total cholesterol, total triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, as well as lipid peroxidation in the animals’ hearts.

In addition, the researchers examined slides of the animals’ hearts and major blood vessels.

Their results, published in the journal “Functional Foods Health Discoveries,” showed that all of the tomato products significantly reduced these cardiovascular measures and improved the microscopic changes in the heart and blood vessels, but that the whole tomato worked best.

Despite having lower carotenoid levels, the whole tomato was more effective in reducing free radicals, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation within the heart muscle and blood vessels than lycopene alone.

The reason why the whole tomato was more effective may be because of the synergistic effects of other compounds (such as flavonoids) acting in concert with the carotenoids.

Whole plants contain a great number of compounds. One should always be aware that many studies that claim benefit for a nutrient actually use plants high in these compounds. But the plants also contain hundreds of other beneficial compounds that may be playing an even more important role.