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According to a recent rabbit study - published in the journal Nutrition - supplementation of lycopene may be as effective as statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) in reducing the formation of plaques in the arteries that cause atherosclerosis.

Lycopene is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-coloured fruits and vegetables. As well as being used as a food colouring, it is also used in supplements. The role of lycopene in heart health and in reducing the risk of certain cancers is supported by a body of research.

Lycopene is a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color.

"The results of our experiment in the high-fat diet rabbit model showed that lycopene and fluvastatin lowered serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, improved lipid metabolism, and reduced the amount of triacylglycerols," wrote the authors.

"Lycopene intervention reduced the increase in ox-LDL levels in rabbits on the high-fat diet, whereas fluvastatin did not show such an effect. The cause of this difference is at present not known, although the result speaks in favour of lycopene," they added.

Hopefully the same results will be demonstrated in humans.

Read more from NutraIngredients.