Rich in lycopenes, a potent type of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, tomatoes have been shown by a number of previous studies to improve antioxidant defenses and reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases. Mahsa Ghavipour, from Tehran University (Iran), and colleagues recruited a group of overweight and obese women, average age 23 years, for a study in which each subject either consumed a glass (330 mL) of tomato juice a day, or water (control beverage), for 20 days. Among the women who drank tomato juice, interleukin-8 (IL-8) was reduced by 11.77 pg/mL, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was reduced by 5.44 pg/mL, as compared to 6.22 and 0.07 pg/mL, respectively, among the control group. Writing that: “Tomato juice reduces inflammation in overweight and obese females,” the study authors submit that: “increasing tomato intake may provide a useful approach for reducing the risk of inflammatory diseases such as [cardiovascular disease] and diabetes, which are associated with obesity.”
Tomato Juice Decreases Inflammation
A glass of tomato juice helps to reduce inflammatory markers associated with heart disease and diabetes.
Mahsa Ghavipour, Ahmad Saedisomeolia, Mahmoud Djalali, Giti Sotoudeh, Mohammad Reza Eshraghyan, Ali Malekshahi Moghadam Lisa G. Wood. “Tomato juice consumption reduces systemic inflammation in overweight and obese females.” British Journal of Nutrition, 24 Oct. 2012.
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