Home Ingredients Fruitflow® (Water-Soluble Tomato Concentrate, Provexis)
Cardiovascular

Fruitflow® (Water-Soluble Tomato Concentrate, Provexis)

Solanum lycopersicum
Evidence Level
Moderate
2 Clinical Trials
3 Documented Benefits
3/5 Evidence Score

Fruitflow® is a water-soluble concentrate made from the clear jelly around tomato seeds, and in randomized, double-blind human trials it lowers how readily blood platelets clump together when they are tested in the laboratory. The European Commission has authorised the claim that water-soluble tomato concentrate I and II helps maintain normal platelet aggregation, which contributes to healthy blood flow. What the trials measured is platelet behaviour in drawn blood, blood pressure, or blood markers. No trial has tested whether it prevents a heart attack, a stroke or a clot, and in the one head-to-head study its platelet effect was about one third that of 75 mg of daily aspirin.

Studied Dose 150 mg/day of concentrated WSTC II, or 3 g/day of WSTC I, the amounts named in the authorised European claim.
Active Compound A water-soluble fraction of the jelly around tomato seeds, containing nucleosides and nucleotides including adenosine, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Two grades: WSTC I, used at 3 g a day, and the twenty-fold more concentrated WSTC II, used at 150 mg a day.

Benefits

Healthy platelet function

In randomized, double-blind trials Fruitflow lowered platelet aggregation measured in blood samples drawn from the people who took it. In the largest, 90 healthy adults, aggregation to a low dose of ADP fell 21.3 percent from baseline three hours after the higher serving, while the control supplement produced no significant change. The European Commission authorised the wording that water-soluble tomato concentrate helps maintain normal platelet aggregation, which contributes to healthy blood flow. This is a laboratory measure of how platelets behave, not a measured reduction in clots or in cardiovascular events.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Blood flow, as worded in the authorised claim

The authorised European wording links maintained platelet aggregation to healthy blood flow, but that link is the regulator's inference from platelet measurements: no Fruitflow trial has measured blood flow or circulation in a person. Do not treat it as a substitute for aspirin or for any prescribed blood thinner. In the one trial that compared them, Fruitflow suppressed platelet function by about a third as much as 75 mg of daily aspirin, and nothing in that trial examined the stomach.

Supported by Trial 1

Fast and lasting effect

A single serving lowered platelet aggregation about three hours later in cannulated volunteers, and the change was still present more than 12 hours on. The size depended on how hard the platelets were pushed: 2.9 percent inhibition at a strong ADP stimulus, 20.0 percent at a weak one. In a separate crossover study the effect was still measurable 24 hours after a 150 mg dose.

Supported by Trial 2

Mechanism of action

1

Platelet aggregation inhibition

In laboratory work the tomato compounds blocked platelet aggregation triggered by ADP, collagen, thrombin and arachidonate, an effect linked to glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and to platelet secretion. Unlike aspirin, the action is reversible rather than an irreversible block of cyclooxygenase, so it wears off as the dose clears.

2

From platelets to blood flow: an inferred step

Lower platelet activation would be expected to reduce the tendency of platelets to stick to vessel walls. Endothelial function and blood flow have not been measured in any human Fruitflow trial, so this step is inferred from the platelet data rather than shown.

Clinical trials

1
Fruitflow vs 75 mg Aspirin: Randomized Crossover Trial in 47 Healthy Adults (Manufacturer Funded)
PubMed

Double-blind randomized crossover trial in 47 healthy adults, comparing Fruitflow with acute and 7-day 75 mg aspirin over a 5-hour timecourse. All study costs, supplements and equipment were provided by Provexis plc, which sells the ingredient, and four of the six authors were Provexis employees at the time. (O'Kennedy et al. 2017, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Healthy adults.

Fruitflow lowered platelet aggregation and thromboxane A2 generation and extended the time to form a clot, against both baseline and control. A single dose of aspirin and a dose of Fruitflow were about equally effective, but aspirin taken daily for seven days was roughly three times as effective, so the paper concludes Fruitflow's suppression of platelet function is about one third that of daily 75 mg aspirin. Plasma clotting times were unchanged, and taking Fruitflow together with aspirin added nothing significant. Responses varied widely between people. Platelet function is a laboratory measure: the trial did not follow anyone for heart attacks, strokes or clots.

2
Antiplatelet Components of Tomato: Laboratory Work Plus a 7-Hour Time-Course in 23 Cannulated Volunteers
PubMed

Half of this paper is in vitro work on isolated platelets. The human half is a 7-hour time-course in 23 cannulated volunteers given a drink containing tomato extract equivalent to six tomatoes. It is not described as double-blind or placebo-controlled: that design belongs to the companion 90-person crossover published in the same issue of the journal. The work was carried out by Provexis plc, which sells the ingredient. (O'Kennedy et al. 2006, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Healthy adults.

Three hours after the drink, platelet aggregation measured in drawn blood was inhibited by 2.9 percent at a strong ADP stimulus and by 20.0 percent at a weak one, and the change persisted beyond 12 hours. Coagulation measures were unchanged. The in vitro half of the paper linked the effect to glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and to platelet secretory mechanisms.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Well tolerated in trials of up to about six weeks of daily use, with no excess of adverse events reported. No trial has examined the stomach or gut lining, so nothing can be said about whether it causes irritation there.
Mild digestive upset is uncommon.
People with tomato allergy should avoid it. Because it lowers platelet aggregation, watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds or bleeding gums, and stop if they appear. It has not been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding, in children, or in people with a bleeding disorder, and the longest continuous course tested was about six weeks.

Important Drug interactions

Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, including warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor: the bleeding risk may add up. Use only with your doctor's agreement.
Aspirin and NSAIDs: an additive antiplatelet effect is plausible, though in a 47-person crossover trial taking Fruitflow alongside 75 mg aspirin gave no significant extra platelet suppression. Other antiplatelet supplements, such as fish oil, garlic, ginkgo and high-dose vitamin E, add to the same consideration.
Stop before surgery, dental extraction or any procedure, and tell the surgeon and the anaesthetist you have been taking it. Do not use it as a replacement for a prescribed antiplatelet or anticoagulant.

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Frequently asked questions about Fruitflow® (Water-Soluble Tomato Concentrate, Provexis)

What is Fruitflow?

Fruitflow® is a water-soluble concentrate made from the clear jelly around tomato seeds, and in randomized, double-blind human trials it lowers how readily blood platelets clump together when they are tested in the laboratory.

What is Fruitflow used for?

Fruitflow is researched primarily for Cardiovascular. In randomized, double-blind trials Fruitflow lowered platelet aggregation measured in blood samples drawn from the people who took it. In the largest, 90 healthy adults, aggregation to a low dose of ADP fell 21.

What is the recommended dosage of Fruitflow?

The clinically studied dose is 150 mg/day of concentrated WSTC II, or 3 g/day of WSTC I, the amounts named in the authorised European claim. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Fruitflow safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Fruitflow include: Well tolerated in trials of up to about six weeks of daily use, with no excess of adverse events reported. No trial has examined the stomach or gut lining, so nothing can be said about whether it causes irritation there. Mild digestive upset is uncommon. It may also interact with some medications. Fruitflow is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Fruitflow interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, including warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor: the bleeding risk may add up. Use only with your doctor's agreement. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Fruitflow?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Fruitflow as Moderate (3 out of 5). It is backed by 2 study summaries and 7 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(7 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. O'Kennedy N, Crosbie L, Song HJ, Zhang X, Horgan G, Duttaroy AK A randomised controlled trial comparing a dietary antiplatelet, the water-soluble tomato extract Fruitflow, with 75 mg aspirin in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2017;71(6):723-730..PubMedUsed to support: In 47 healthy adults, Fruitflow lowered platelet aggregation and thromboxane A2 generation and extended the time to form a clot against control. A single dose was about as effective as a single 75 mg aspirin, but aspirin taken daily for a week was roughly three times as effective, so the paper puts Fruitflow's suppression of platelet function at about one third that of daily low-dose aspirin. Taking the two together added nothing significant. Funded by the manufacturer.
  2. O'Kennedy N, Crosbie L, van Lieshout M, et al. Effects of antiplatelet components of tomato extract on platelet function in vitro and ex vivo: a time-course cannulation study in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(3):570-9..PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory experiments on isolated platelets plus a 7-hour time-course in 23 cannulated volunteers. Three hours after a drink containing tomato extract equivalent to six tomatoes, platelet aggregation in drawn blood was inhibited by 2.9 percent at a strong ADP stimulus and 20.0 percent at a weak one, and the change lasted beyond 12 hours. Coagulation measures were unaffected.
  3. O'Kennedy N, Crosbie L, Whelan S, Luther V, Horgan G, Broom JI, Webb DJ, Duttaroy AK Effects of tomato extract on platelet function: a double-blinded crossover study in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(3):561-9..PubMedUsed to support: The largest randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial of this extract: in 90 healthy adults with normal platelet function, aggregation measured three hours after a serving fell 21.3 percent from baseline at a low ADP stimulus with the higher dose and 12.7 percent with the lower dose, and 17.5 percent to collagen, while the control supplement produced no significant change. Carried out by Provexis plc, which sells the ingredient. Platelet aggregation is a laboratory measure and no clinical event was followed.
  4. Tian Z, Li K, Fan D, Gao X, Ma X, Zhao Y, Zhao D, Liang Y, Ji Q, Chen Y, Yang Y Water-Soluble Tomato Concentrate, a Potential Antioxidant Supplement, Can Attenuate Platelet Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in Healthy Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Crossover Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2022;14(16):3374..PubMedUsed to support: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 52 healthy middle-aged and elderly adults at Sun Yat-sen University, run as two 4-week periods with a 2-week washout. Water-soluble tomato concentrate inhibited platelet aggregation to collagen and to ADP, raised serum total antioxidant capacity and lowered malondialdehyde, with no difference in adverse events. The study was part funded by the By-health Research Foundation and the tablets were supplied by By-health, which distributes the ingredient in China. All outcomes were blood measurements and no cardiovascular event was assessed.
  5. Yu Y, Wu Y, Xie L, Chang C The effect of water-soluble tomato concentrate on elevated serum cholesterol in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1410420..PubMedUsed to support: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at Peking University Third Hospital in 60 adults aged 35 to 65 with high cholesterol, given 300 mg/day of Fruitflow tablets for 45 days. Systolic pressure fell 4.2 percent and diastolic 3.8 percent from baseline while the placebo group changed little, and the difference between the groups reached significance. HDL cholesterol rose and homocysteine, high-sensitivity CRP and fasting glucose fell, but despite the trial's title no reduction in total or LDL cholesterol was reported. The authors declare no commercial relationship and do not say who supplied the tablets. These are risk-factor measurements, not cardiovascular events.
  6. Uddin M, Biswas D, Ghosh A, O'Kennedy N, Duttaroy AK Consumption of Fruitflow® lowers blood pressure in pre-hypertensive males: a randomised, placebo controlled, double blind, cross-over study. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2018;69(4):494-502..PubMedUsed to support: A small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover pilot in 12 pre-hypertensive men. A single 150 mg dose lowered 24-hour average blood pressure against placebo, and platelet aggregation to ADP measured 24 hours later was still reduced against both baseline and placebo. With 12 participants and a single dose this is a pilot, as the paper itself calls it, and one of its authors is the chief scientific officer of the company that sells the ingredient.
  7. Das RK, Datta T, Biswas D, Duss R, O'Kennedy N, Duttaroy AK Evaluation of the equivalence of different intakes of Fruitflow in affecting platelet aggregation and thrombin generation capacity in a randomized, double-blinded pilot study in male subjects. BMC Nutr. 2021;7(1):80..PubMedUsed to support: A randomized, double-blinded crossover pilot in 12 men aged 30 to 65 comparing 0, 30, 75, 150 and 300 mg. Changes in platelet aggregation and thrombin generation after 75, 150 and 300 mg were equivalent to one another (aggregation down 12.9, 12.0 and 17.7 percent from baseline), while 30 mg was no different from no supplement at all. The authors include a Provexis officer and a DSM employee. With 12 participants this is a dose-finding pilot, not a confirmatory trial.