As we all know, the tomato is a fruit going around disguised as a vegetable.

However, what most of us don't know is that the tomato may be taking on another role – that of a heart-disease fighter.

According to a just-released report, 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, which blocks "bad" LDL cholesterol that can clog the arteries.  The ingredient is actually an antioxidant found in the skin of tomatoes producing their red colour.

The pill, Ateronon, is made by a biotechnology spin-out company of Cambridge University, and is being launched as a dietary supplement. However, experts refrained from going too far out on a limb, and said more trials were needed to determine its full effectiveness.

Preliminary trials involving around 150 people with heart disease indicate that Ateronon can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to almost zero within eight weeks, a meeting of cardiac professionals were told at Ateronon's launch.

The recent announcements concerning the tomato come as no surprise Kali Hristothoulopoulou, president of the Organic Farmers of Crete, who has been growing tomatoes for many years.

"While the tomato pill is something new, the pharmaceutical attributes of the tomato are many and have been known for years," she said while standing behind a pyramid of the bright red fruit at her stall at the organic market in Gournes. "It's good for rheumatism, arthritis, eyesight, nerve system, kidneys and constipation. "And, because of the tomato's content in lycopene, it helps the heart, the vessels and in the prevention of arteriosclerosis.  It also has antioxidant attributes which combats ageing."

Mrs. Hristothoulopoulou went on to say that organically grown tomatoes are even healthier since they have no hormones used for pollination, nor a lot of water or fertilizers.