fruit, which only grows for a few weeks a year in Vietnam, has been identified as a "super source" of Lycopene, so renowned for its health benefits. Late last year Finnish medical scientists from the Department of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, completed a 12 year study of over 1,000 Finnish men which found that high blood Lycopene levels reduced the risk of stroke by more than 55% when compared to low levels of Lycopene. Low levels of Lycopene also increased the risk of heart attack in the group studied.
"Tomatoes were thought to be the best source of Lycopene but your body can’t absorb much Lycopene if the tomatoes are raw, according to Matakana SuperFoods founder Dr Kevin Glucina.
The discovery of a new super source of Lycopene from Gac, a gourd-like fruit from Vietnam, may come as good news for those in the ever increasing high-risk categories for stroke and heart disease.
Weight for weight, Gac contains 70 times more Lycopene than tomato. Gac fruit also contains its own natural fatty-acids which help the body absorb Lycopene.
