Dyslipidemia is a condition in which abnormal amount of lipids, cholesterol and fat molecules are present in the blood stream. This abnormality has been linked to cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of heart failure and stroke so medical scientists are keen to find nutritional agents that ameliorate this risk.

Japanese researchers have identified a nutrient in tomatoes, a key component of recipes originating around the Mediterranean region, that seems to modulate the condition. The team showed the compound, 9-oxo-octadecadienoic, helps fatty acid oxidation and regulation of lipid metabolism in the liver.

• 9-Oxo-10(E), 12(E)-octadecadienoic acid derived from tomato is a potent PPARa agonist to decrease triglyceride accumulation in mouse primary hepatocytes
  Y. I. Kim, S. Hirai, H. Takahashi, T. Goto, C. Ohyane et al.,
  Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201000264