Total cholesterol effect after consumption of tomato juice alone and in combination with extra virgin olive oil. A nine-day pilot study in hypercholesterolemic patients

Abstract

The objective was to determine the effect of lycopene on the total cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia at a hospital in Lima in 2018. The type of study was quantitative, and the design was analytical, longitudinal and prospective. The sample consisted of patients with hypercholesterolemia treated at the department of Nutrition of Sanidad de la Policia Nacional del Perú. Tomato juice containing lycopene was administered through a preparation based on tomato juice with olive oil, which was macerated for an average of 8 hours before being consumed. A total of 70 subjects were recruited; however, a total of 50 patients finished the study protocol. 21 received tomato juice with olive oil (TOO), 14 patients only received tomato juice (TJ), and 15 only had nutritional counseling regarding the low-calorie diet (LCD). According to this study, the tomato juice and olive oil preparation, as well as the diet, were related to differences on cholesterol measurement. These recommendations can help to lower cholesterol in patients.