Ketchup can help you survive for weeks. That was the case with a brave sailor while adrift at sea for nearly a month with nothing to eat but ketchup and spices.

Dominican Sailor Survived For Nearly a Month Consuming Ketchup

Elvis Francois was on his boat off the coast of St. Maarten when the weather turned bad and carried his boat into the open ocean. According to him, he tried to return to the port but lost track. It took him a while to mount the sail and fix it, Good News Network reported.

He called his friends and coworkers, but there was no service. He was helpless, so he sat down and waited.

He wrote "Help" on the back of his boat and waited to see what would happen. He had nothing to eat except for a packet of garlic seasoning, his lunch that day of Maggi soup, and a bottle of ketchup.

He was adrift at sea for 24 days before the Colombian navy rescued him and brought him back to Cartagena for a medical examination. He was reportedly in "good health."

Heinz Wants To Celebrate Brave Ketchup Boat Guy's Return

After hearing about Francois' amazing story, Heinz, an American food processing company popular for its tomato ketchup, they published a message that they were looking for the brave Dominican sailor survivor because they wanted to celebrate his safe return by giving him a new boat with state-of-the-art navigation systems to help him avoid the same predicament in the future.

Heinz had already contacted the government of Dominica, where the man lives, and the Colombian Navy, who rescued him. However, they had no luck getting in touch with Francois.

However, the company had a hard time finding him, so they decided to ask the netizens' help to locate Francois. Heinz announced this on its official Instagram account and urged the netizens to share it with their friends so that they could find the ketchup boat guy soon.

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Is Ketchup Healthy?

Francois presumably consumed ketchup for 24 days while he was adrift on the sea because he had no other food. Is ketchup healthy?

Food Network states ketchup is a low-calorie condiment made from tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices. Compared to mayonnaise, ketchup has no fat and fewer calorie per tablespoon, making it a healthier choice for those who want to cut out added calories.

Also, processed and cooked tomatoes tend to have high levels of antioxidant lycopene. In 2004, a study released by the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that women with higher levels of lycopene in their blood had a 50% lower risk of developing heart disease.

However, it still contains sugar and salt. Processed ketchup contains more sugar than regular tomatoes. Also, consuming eight tablespoons of ketchup will have you reach your sodium needs for the entire day. Thus, it's accessible to overload sodium.

Ketchup is healthy, but it's best to consume it in moderation.

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