According to bbc news, "Scientists say a natural supplement made from tomatoes, taken daily, can stave off heart disease and strokes. The tomato pill contains an active ingredient from the Mediterranean diet - lycopene - that blocks "bad" LDL cholesterol that can clog the arteries."This corresponds with the Mayo Clinic's assertion that "The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, a 2007 study conducted in the United States found that both men and women who consumed a Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of death from both heart disease and cancer."
According to wikipedia, "lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits & vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons and papayas (but not strawberries or cherries)."
Also, "lycopene may be the most powerful carotenoid quencher of singlet oxygen, being 100 times more efficient in test tube studies of singlet-oxygen quenching action than vitamin E, which in turn has 125 times the quenching action of glutathione (water soluble)[citation needed]. Singlet oxygen produced during exposure to ultraviolet light is a primary cause of skin aging. Given its antioxidant properties, substantial scientific and clinical research has been devoted to a possible correlation between lycopene consumption and general health. Early research suggested some amelioration { combating of } of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even male infertility."
More information about the Mediterranean Diet is available at the American Heart Association website, and also at WebMD.
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