'Tomato ketchup 'can cut cholesterol''

@HITTING THE HEADLINES 07 Dec 2007
Eating tomato ketchup daily reduces cholesterol levels reported five newspapers (6 December 2007). The reports were based on a small unrandomised trial which measured cholesterol levels of participants with normal cholesterol before and after a high tomato product diet, including ketchup. The reports were generally accurate, but the reliability of the study conclusions is unclear.

What were the authors' objectives?
The authors' objective was to investigate the effect on blood levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of a high tomato diet compared with a low tomato diet and a normal diet.

What were the findings?
Mean plasma total cholesterol levels were lower following the high tomato diet compared to the low tomato diet (5.9% reduction) and to baseline (4.2% reduction). LDL cholesterol levels were also lower after the high tomato diet compared to the low tomato diet (12.9% reduction) and baseline (8.5% reduction). All these analyses were statistically significant. The authors state that these reductions in plasma cholesterol levels were not related to baseline levels, as all subjects showed a similar response. The study also found a significant decrease in LDL oxidation following the high tomato diet compared to baseline.

What were the authors' conclusions?
The authors concluded that a high dietary intake of tomato products significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels and increased LDL resistance to oxidation in adults with normal cholesterol levels.

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