65 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure. That’s one out of every three adults. And with no symptoms, many are unaware they even have it – which is why it is often called “the silent killer.” Most doctors treat hypertension with drugs – drugs that are expensive and carry significant risks. But new research shows there is a promising natural alternative – lycopene.

Numerous studies have shown that lycopene – a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes – can protect against prostate cancer, breast cancer, and heart disease. And a recent trial published in the American Heart Journal suggests that it can lower blood pressure too.

Researchers studied the effects of a lycopene supplement called Lyc-O-Mato on 31 participants whose blood pressure was mildly elevated. (Unlike isolated lycopene, Lyc-O-Mato extracts and concentrates the entire complex of phytonutrients that are found in tomatoes.) The results indicated an average 10-point reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 9-point drop in diastolic pressure. The researchers considered this reduction to be significant.

You can find this inexpensive supplement in your local health food store or online.

Jon Herring is the former Health Editor and copywriter for Early To Rise. While his formal education is in finance, Jon has invested over 3000 hours in the study of health and nutrition. He is deeply motivated to provide people with the information and the inspiration to live a long and active life, filled with energy and free from disease. Jon has also been a student of direct sales and marketing since an early age. Before he was 10 years old, he was selling door to door, and he has been an active entrepreneur ever since. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1993, Jon moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he learned how to build houses, climb mountains, catch trout, and ski fast down hill. However, after several years of poverty with a nice view, Jon returned to his hometown of Nashville to seek his fortune. Within two years – at the age of 26 – he had started a direct marketing business that was earning six figure annual revenues. In addition to his passion for health, Jon has a strong interest in business and investing. He is also a staunch advocate for honest government and the libertarian values of privacy, freedom, and personal responsibility.

Posted in Alternative Health, Health