Nutrition: Tomatoes good for the blood vessels

You likely already know that tomatoes are loaded with vitamins (A, C and K) and rich in antioxidants. Now, a study from Japan has found a substance in tomatoes that may help prevent abnormal amounts of fats called lipids, such as cholesterol, in our bloodstream. These can lead to vascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis’the thickening and hardening of the walls of our arteries.

The researchers stated that their findings suggest that tomatoes, which naturally contain a compound called 9-oxo-octadecadienoic, "are valuable for ameliorating abnormalities of lipid metabolism." This means they may help prevent cardiovascular disease. The study is published in the recent issue of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Of course, this study  provides another great reason to toss more tomatoes in a salad’greenhouse varieties grown in many areas of the country have much more flavour than the old pale tomatoes of winter. Or use canned ones’now low-sodium options are much more readily available’to create soups, chowders, curries or casseroles with a tomato base. Here are five good-for-you reasons to eat more tomatoes, and 10 tasty tomato recipes to get you started, as well as a recipe for a versatile "Mama Mollie" tomato sauce.

What’s your favourite way to cook with tomatoes?