Is it possible for tomatoes to lower blood pressure?

  According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, tomatoes and tomato-based products may help prevent and control high blood pressure.

Because potassium counteracts the effects of salt on the body, it is believed to help lower blood pressure. Potassium is rich in tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables. Additionally, they are necessary for many diets that support heart health.

According to Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventos, PharmD, head of the University of Barcelona's Institute for Research on Nutrition and Food Safety and co-author of the study, "tomatoes are one of the most consumed, widely available, and affordable vegetables worldwide," she told Health. "They play a significant role in some of the healthiest diets, such as the Mediterranean diet."

Daily tomato diets included eating raw tomatoes or meals made with tomatoes, such as tomato sauce and gazpacho, a chilled Spanish tomato soup. Four groups (number of tomatoes ingested by each participant) were formed based on the size of the meal.

Tomato consumption and the risk of hypertension were found to be inversely correlated in the lowest and intermediate groups; a significant correlation was discovered in the highest group. A 36% reduction in blood pressure risk is associated with eating more tomatoes, and even moderate tomato consumption decreases blood pressure.

Blood pressure decreases were less pronounced in participants with greater blood pressure. Based on their advanced age and other risk factors, the authors hypothesise that this could be because these people had high blood pressure for prolonged periods of time, which made significant change more difficult for them.