Aims: Clinical studies have produced conflicting evidence on the effects of the consumption of tomatoes on blood pressure, and there are limited data from epidemiologic studies. This study assesses whether tomato consumption (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is associated with Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), and the risk of hypertension in a prospective 3-year longitudinal study in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.
Methods: The present study was carried out within the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) trial involving 7,056 (82.5% hypertensive) participants. The consumption of tomato (g/d) was measured using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and categorized into 4 groups: lowest (<44 g), intermediate (44-82 g), upper-intermediate (82 -110 g), and highest (>110 g). Multilevel linear mixed models examined blood pressure and tomato consumption association. Cox proportional-hazards models analyzed hypertension risk in 1,097 non-hypertensive participants, studying risk reductions versus the lowest tomato consumers.
Results: An inverse association between tomato consumption and diastolic blood pressure was observed between the intermediate group β = -0.65 mmHg [95% CI:-1.20, -0.10] and the lowest consumption group. A significant inverse association was observed for blood pressure in grade 1 hypertension participants in the intermediate tomato consumption group. The risk of hypertension decreased with consumption of >110 g/d tomato (highest vs lowest consumption; HR, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.51-0.89]).
Conclusions: Tomato consumption, including tomato-based products, is beneficial in preventing and managing hypertension. Higher tomato intake reduces hypertension risk by 36%, and moderate consumption lowers blood pressure, especially in grade 1 hypertension.
Keywords: Mediterranean diet; PREDIMED; cardiovascular disease; hypertension; lycopene; observational study.
Tomato consumption may play a favourable clinical role in the prevention and management of elevated blood pressure. Tomato consumption was associated with both blood pressure measurements in mildly elevated blood pressure participants. A higher consumption of tomato was associated with a reduction in the risk of high blood pressure, equivalent to a large-sized fruit.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.