Tomato pill for heart health
READING a front-page newspaper article about a new supplement dubbed the ‘tomato pill’ has had a life-changing effect on keen yachtsman Colin Grundon.
The supplement was developed by Cambridge scientists for heart health and blood flow and is bursting with lycopene, the compound credited with many of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
It contains a uniquely bioavailable lycopene formulation that is known as LactoLycopene, combined with thiamin and selenium to support a healthy heart.
As someone who suffered from raised cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, the article immediately grabbed Colin’s attention, even though he had never taken any natural supplements before.
What appealed to him most about the pill was the research behind it, particularly a study conducted at Addenbrooke’s Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
‘It was a first for me, but having research conducted at such a well-known institution gave me real confidence,’ says Colin.
Having undergone a triple coronary bypass in 1990, Colin was highly conscious of any possible interactions between the pill and his medication, especially the statins he took. However his cardiologist confirmed that the one-a-day supplement could be taken alongside statins — and was fully supportive of him doing so. In fact, he has even started taking the product himself.
Three years on, Colin says he has never looked back. ‘I feel as though I have much more energy and independence to do things that in the past I had asked others to do for me — like clean and polish a 52ft boat,’ he explains. Colin now advises his family and friends to take the patented product.
The science behind the supplement and the findings from studies were presented to an audience of international health professionals at a British Cardiovascular Society symposium in 2014, headed by Cambridge surgeon Peter Kirkpatrick.
Mr Kirkpatrick says: ‘It is very rare to see a natural supplement with such high-quality research behind it. I have found it fascinating for a number of years and am personally conducting further research on the product here at Cambridge this year.’