This Special Tomato Aims to Fight Hypertension

A biotech company based in Japan has developed a genetically engineered tomato aimed at lowering blood pressure, granting the public a grown solution to tackle hypertension-related diseases.

Some 5,000 consumers received free seedlings of the tomato variety to be commercialized. By allowing the customers to grow and consume the gene-edited tomato first-hand, Sanatech Seed was able to take the public’s pulse about genetically-edited vegetables.

“The tomatoes have earned a good reputation from those who participated in the cultivation trials,” says Shimpei Takeshita, president of the company. The Sicilian Rouge has been genetically tweaked to contain higher levels of Gamma-aminobutyric acid – or GABA – than what is naturally found in tomatoes. According to a recent study, GABA supplementation helps lower high blood pressure which is linked with heart disease and stroke.