Detailed review: are tomatoes useful for the heart, blood vessels and blood, and for what diseases can they be eaten?
With regular use, tomatoes are exceptionally good for health, including they protect against diseases of the heart, blood vessels and blood.
After their inclusion in the diet, the work of the heart muscle improves, the likelihood of blood clots decreases, the risk of hypertension, atherosclerosis and anemia, heart attacks and strokes decreases.
More specifically, we will talk about the effect of tomatoes on the body and the possibility of their use in various diseases in our article.
Content
What effect do they have on the heart?
With regular use, tomatoes have a positive effect on the condition of both the heart and its work:
- Improve heart rhythm (they are especially useful for tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, extrasystole);
- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease;
- Prevent the development of hypertension;
- Reduce the manifestations of angina pectoris;
- Have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Tomatoes are recommended to include in your diet for people with increased excitability of the nervous system. This condition is one of the causes of hypertension . The result of hypertension is hypertrophy of the heart muscle and increased damage to the myocardium by free radicals. The probability of death from heart disease in this condition is doubled, the risk of heart attack increases by 20%.
The antioxidants contained in tomatoes protect the heart from free radicals, which have a damaging effect. Regular consumption of these vegetables helps to restore the heart muscle, which has developed some kind of disorders.
Tomatoes and food prepared from them are recommended to be included in the diet after a heart attack — this reduces the risk of its recurrence . To get a positive effect, you can eat raw and cooked tomatoes, tomato juice and tomato paste. Therefore, the answer to the question "is it possible to eat this product after a heart attack" is unequivocally positive. Drinking tomato juice is also not prohibited.
Fresh or cooked tomatoes, unsalted tomato juice and tomato paste have no contraindications to use. In case of heart diseases, they can only bring benefits.
Effects on blood vessels
The inclusion of tomatoes in the diet has a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels:
- These vegetables protect against atherosclerosis and increase vascular patency;
- Reduce the level of inflammation in the arteries and veins;
- Repair damaged veins and arteries and increase their elasticity.
The antioxidant lycopene prevents the development of atherosclerosis , which is found in tomatoes. Due to regular replenishment of its reserves, the cholesterol level in the blood decreases, and the lumen of the arteries and veins increases. Yellow tomatoes and green ones contain more lycopene than red ones. The content of this substance increases after heat treatment, so cooked vegetables are healthier than raw ones.
The deposition of cholesterol plaques is also prevented by vitamins, which are contained in tomatoes in large quantities. It is also recommended to clean the vessels with tomato juice To clean the vessels, it is enough to drink half a liter of juice per day. Green tomatoes also have a therapeutic effect.
Vitamin C, the content of which these vegetables are not inferior to citrus fruits, helps strengthen the walls of arteries and veins . Calcium has the same effect. Tomatoes are useful for varicose veins. With this disease, you can not only eat them, but also apply compresses of fresh tomatoes to your feet.
These vegetables have almost no effect on blood sugar levels in most people . But in some cases, they can cause it to increase. To determine the individual reaction of the body to tomatoes, it is necessary to measure the sugar level with a glucose meter after eating them.
How do they affect the blood?
Tomatoes contain iron in large quantities. Due to this, they stimulate hematopoiesis — when they are included in the diet, the hemoglobin level increases . Folic acid, which is also rich in these vegetables, has the same effect. Therefore, they are useful to everyone who suffers from anemia (anemia).
Women often experience iron deficiency during pregnancy. The inclusion of these vegetables in the diet helps to prevent the problem.
Another useful property of tomatoes is that they help to thin the blood and reducing the risk of blood clots , that is , they have an antiplatelet effect. For this reason, they can and even should be eaten before blood donation. Tomatoes are comparable to aspirin in their potency and surpass all other vegetables except green beans. They are recommended for use with thrombosis. Tomato paste and juice also dilute the blood, not thicken it.
7 More Products for Cardiovascular Health
In order to maximize the benefits for the health of the cardiovascular system, you should not limit yourself to tomatoes alone. It is necessary to include other foods in the diet, the use of which protects against heart, vascular and blood diseases.
- Fish : helps to reduce triglyceride levels and improve the rhythm of the heart muscle due to the omega-3 fatty acids contained in it. To replenish the supply of these substances, it is recommended to eat salmon, trout, tuna, herring, mackerel.
- Olive oil contains polyphenols, the use of which has a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels. By replacing butter with this product, you can reduce the cholesterol content in the blood.
- Nuts rich in arginine. If you eat them 2-3 times a week, the probability of a heart attack decreases by 40%. Arginine also protects arteries and veins from damage.
- Oranges contain a large amount of potassium, which is necessary to maintain normal blood pressure. These citrus fruits are also a valuable source of pectin, which cleanses the body of harmful cholesterol, and hesperidin, which prevents the development of hypertension.
- Oatmeal porridge is a valuable source of fiber, which reduces the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, it is rich in potassium.
- Dried apricots is another source of potassium. It also contains a large amount of antioxidants. If you consume two handfuls of this dried fruit per day, the likelihood of a heart attack decreases. Dried apricots can be added to oatmeal porridge to make a delicious dish that will be extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
- Chocolate helps to dilate blood vessels, which makes it very useful for high blood pressure.
See also:
- TOP 8 healthiest fruits for the heart and blood vessels .
- Why is it so important to consume onion and garlic for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
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Regular consumption of tomatoes in food has a positive effect on the state of the cardiovascular system. To get the best results, you should add other products to them. In this case, well-being will improve, and the risk of developing heart, vascular and blood diseases will significantly decrease.