Anti-oxidant in tomatoes helps cut riskof stroke: study

Eating tomato and tomato-based food rich in antioxidant lycopene can
halve the risk of stroke, a new research has claimed.
Finland researchers found that people with the highest amounts of
lycopene in their blood were 55 per cent less likely to have a stroke
than people with the lowest amounts of lycopene in their blood.
The study involved 1,031 men in Finland between the ages of 46 and 65.
The level of lycopene in their blood was tested at the start of the
study andthey were followed for an average of 12 years.
During that time, 67 men had a stroke.
Among the men with the lowest levels of lycopene,25 of 258 men had a stroke.
Among those with the highest levels of lycopene, 11 of 259 men had a
stroke. When researchers looked at just strokes due to blood clots,
the results were even stronger.
Those with the highest levels of lycopene were 59 per cent less likely
to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels.
"This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and
vegetables isassociated with a lower risk of stroke," said studyauthor
Jouni Karppi fromthe University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio.
"The results support the recommendation that people get more than five
servings of fruits andvegetables a day, which would likely lead to a
major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to
previous research," Karppi said in a statement.
The study also looked at blood levels of the antioxidants
alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol, but found
no association between the blood levels and risk of stroke.
The research was published in the journal Neurology .