GE Tomatoes Reduce Plaque Accumulation in Mice

A study was reported in the American Heart Association Sessions 2012  about a tomato that has been genetically engineered to produce a peptide that copies the activities of a good cholesterol when consumed. The peptide produced by the tomatoes is called 6F, which mimics ApoA-1, the main protein in high density lipoprotein known as the good cholesterol. The tomatoes were fed to mice that have no ability to discard bad cholesterol from their blood and thus instantly develop inflammation and atherosclerosis or plaque build up in the arteries when fed with high fat diet. After consuming GE tomatoes, the mice exhibited lower levels of inflammation, higher antioxidant activity, increased levels of good cholesterol, decreased tumor promoter levels, and less atherosclerotic plaque.

Read the original article at http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/genetically-engineered-tomatoes-239560.aspx.