Tomatoes, Lycopene and Blood Pressure: What New Research Shows
Tomatoes have been a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet for centuries. Beyond their familiar flavor and color, they are also one of our richest dietary sources of lycopene, a naturally occurring carotenoid that has attracted considerable scientific interest for its potential role in cardiovascular health.
Now, a new study published in Food & Function [1] takes a comprehensive look at what the accumulated research tells us about tomato-derived lycopene and cardiovascular risk.
One finding stands out: blood pressure.
What the Researchers Found
Researchers conducted an umbrella review--a study that evaluates evidence from previously published reviews and meta-analyses. A meta-analysis is sometimes described as a “study of studies”, that is, a research method that combines the results of several separate studies asking essentially the same question. In other words, instead of relying on one clinical trial with, for example, 100 people--researchers gather the results from multiple trials involving many more people and analyze them together. This provides a more reliable estimate of whether something really works and how well it works.
The umbrella review in Food and Function examined nine (9) systematic reviews of intervention studies involving adults consuming tomatoes and/or naturally occurring lycopene.
The strongest finding was for systolic blood pressure. Across randomized controlled trials involving 2,435 participants, tomato-derived lycopene was associated with an average reduction of approximately 2.4 mmHg. The researchers rated this evidence as “high certainty” using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation), a widely accepted system for evaluating the quality and reliability of scientific evidence. Diastolic blood pressure also decreased by approximately 1.3 mmHg, based on data from 1,732 participants.
Those numbers may sound modest, but even small reductions in blood pressure matter. In a large analysis involving more than 340,000 participants in randomized trials, every 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure was associated with about a 10% lower risk of major cardiovascular events, including a 13% lower risk of stroke [2].
Other research has estimated that even a 2 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure across a population could be associated with approximately a 6% reduction in coronary heart disease risk and a 15% reduction in stroke risk [3]
The key message: when sustained over time, even a few points of blood-pressure reduction can be meaningful for cardiovascular health.
Why Lycopene?
Lycopene is the red pigment responsible for the characteristic color of tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava and several other fruits.
It belongs to the carotenoid family of plant compounds and is a potent antioxidant. Scientists have studied lycopene for its potential effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular health—all of which can play a role in cardiovascular health [4].
Interestingly, lycopene is unusual because cooking tomatoes can make it more bioavailable. Processing disrupts the tomato's cellular structure, making lycopene easier for the body to absorb. Consuming tomato products with some dietary fat can further enhance its absorption. That makes foods such as tomato sauce prepared with extra virgin olive oil a particularly Mediterranean—and delicious—way to consume it.
How Much Lycopene?
The authors of the new review reported that daily consumption of approximately 5 to 30 mg of lycopene appeared beneficial. While that amount can be obtained from tomatoes and tomato-based foods, lycopene content can vary considerably depending on the variety, ripeness and preparation.
Olivino Essential offers a convenient way to take the guesswork out of how much you're getting: each softgel provides a consistent, standardized 10 mg of lycopene from Lyc-O-Mato® Tomato Nutrient Complex, along with other naturally occurring tomato phytonutrients.
Why Tomatoes Are Part of the Olivino Story
The Mediterranean diet—and the remarkable bioactive compounds naturally present in its key foods—was the inspiration behind Olivino. When we developed Olivino Essential, we didn't focus on a single Mediterranean food or bioactive. We brought together complementary bioactive compounds from three of the Mediterranean diet's most iconic fruits: olives, grapes and tomatoes.
Lycopene is therefore only one part of the Olivino story.
Olivino also provides grape seed polyphenols, resveratrol and olive fruit bioactives—compounds that have each been studied independently for their potential roles in cardiovascular and vascular health.
This new research on tomato-derived lycopene adds to the growing body of science supporting the individual Mediterranean bioactives that inspired the Olivino formulation.
The Takeaway
This new research adds compelling evidence that tomato-derived lycopene can play a meaningful role in supporting healthy blood pressure and cardiovascular health. It also reminds us that some of the most interesting compounds in nutrition are found in the foods that have been part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries.
Olives, grapes and tomatoes provide a remarkable array of naturally occurring bioactive compounds—and scientists continue to uncover how these compounds may contribute to cardiovascular health.
That science is at the heart of Olivino: bringing complementary bioactives from olives, grapes and tomatoes together in one convenient daily softgel, at consistent, standardized levels.
To your good health!
References
[1] Nam YE, Hwang IG, Jang HH. Role of lycopene from tomato on cardiovascular risk: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention studies | Food & Function | The Royal Society of Chemistry. Food & Function. 2026;17(2):622–630.
[2] Rahimi K, Bidel Z, Nazarzadeh M, Copland E, Canoy D, Ramakrishnan R, Pinho-Gomes AC, Woodward M, et al. Pharmacological blood pressure lowering for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease across different levels of blood pressure: an individual participant-level data meta-analysis - PubMed. The Lancet. 2021;397(10285):1625–1636. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00590-0.
[3] Cook NR, Cohen J, Hebert PR, Taylor JO, Hennekens CH.Implications of small reductions in diastolic blood pressure for primary prevention - PubMed. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1995;155(7):701–709.
[4] Mozos I, Stoian D, Caraba A, Malainer C, Horbańczuk JO, Atanasov AG. Lycopene and Vascular Health. Lycopene and Vascular Health - PMC. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2018;9:521. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00521.
About the Author
Clare Hasler-Lewis, M.S., Ph.D., MBA, is CEO and Co-Founder of OlivinoLife, Inc., and a nutrition scientist who has spent more than 35 years translating nutrition research into practical health information. She is the author of the Med Diet News series, which explores the latest science on the Mediterranean diet and healthy aging.