Gazpacho is a tomato-based soup from Spain that features chopped vegetables and is served cold. Now, gazpacho fans have one more reason to love this soup, as research results reported on ScienceDaily.com reveal that it can actually help you maintain or lower blood pressure.

Lead researcher Alexander Medina-Remón from the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Food and Nutrition Torribera Campus of the Universitat de Barcelona has found that gazpacho’s main ingredients--tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and soaked bread--are quite helpful in getting blood pressure under control, in spite the fact that the recipe calls for salt, which is a big no-no to those with hypertension.

According to Medina-Ramon, the ingredients contain enough carotenes, polyphenols and vitamin C which offset the effects of salt. “The final balance of the bioactive elements of gazpacho and its salt content makes it to be cardio-healthy; in other words, at the end, the positive effect of all the ingredients that contribute to the reduction of arterial pressure prevails over salt's effect.”

Gazpacho is relatively easy to make, and with its health benefits, it’s recommended to have a hearty bowl of it as often as you like.

(Photo by Diana House via Flickr Creative Commons)