Cardiovascular Benefits of Tomatoes and Red Grapes

Tomatoes and red grapes are considered as super foods for your heart because of the immense cardiovascular benefits they offer.

Tomatoes are a very good source of potassium and also good source of niacin, vitamin B6, and folate. Niacin is known for its cholesterol lowering properties. Potassium has been known to lower high blood pressure and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B6 and folate are known as homocysteine lowering vitamins (HLV), and both are needed by the body to convert the potentially dangerous chemical, homocysteine into other, benign molecules. High levels of homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls, are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Tomatoes are excellent natural sources of antioxidants like Vitamin C, carotenoids like Beta carotene and lycopene, all of which have proven cardiovascular benefits. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant which travels through the body neutralizing dangerous free radicals that could otherwise damage cells and cell membranes, escalating inflammation and the progression or severity of diabetic complications, atherosclerosis, asthma, and colon cancer. A high dietary intake of tomatoes has shown to significantly reduce total and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels, while also increasing LDL's resistance to damage by free radicals, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation, which leads to coronary artery disease (CAD). Moreover, tomatoes are also a good source of chromium, which helps in keeping blood sugar level under control, and we all know that diabetics are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Grapes contain a category of phytonutrients called polyphenols, which are responsible for its numerous health benefits. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that give the vibrant purple color to grapes. The cardiovascular benefits of red grapes is due to a flavonoid-type compound called resveratrol and a flavonoid called quercitin. Both these compounds significantly reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing platelet aggregation and harmful blood clots and by protecting LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from the free radical damage that initiates LDL's artery-damaging actions by formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Grapes are also good source of potassium, which has shown to lower high blood pressure. Grapes also have mild diuretic property, which helps the heart in pumping blood more efficiently.

So if you want your heart and cardiovascular system to remain in healthy condition, make sure you include tomatoes and grapes in your daily diet. Tomatoes can be part of your salad or you can have them in form of tomato sauce or tomato juice, whereas grapes can be consumed either raw or as grape juice.