Tomatoes may prevent blood clots

ABERDEEN - The tomato, beloved as a component of salads and sauces, may also be a potent ingredient in the fight for good health, British researchers believe.

A study by the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen has found that tomatoes could be the key to preventing blood clots that cause heart disease and strokes, two of the developed world's biggest killers.

The yellow jelly around tomato seeds keeps platelets in the blood from clumping together and so eliminates dangerous clots that block blood vessels and kill millions each year, the institute says.

The researchers think the jelly could point the way to an alternative anti-platelet therapy to aspirin, which is widely used to prevent blood clots but can cause stomach upsets and bleeding.

Tests on a small group of volunteers showed that the jelly from as few as four tomatoes could reduce platelet activity by up to 72 per cent, and did not cause bleeding.

Fruit and vegetables have been known to help reduce the risk of heart disease, but the Rowett team pinpointed the jelly around the seeds as the factor setting them apart from antioxidants such as vitamin C.

Tomatoes are the best source of the anti-platelet chemical, but strawberries, melons and grapefruit also contain it.

- REUTERS