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Clinical trial determines if lycopene from whole tomatoes or tomato paste is absorbed better

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Lycopene is one of the main carotenoids naturally found in tomatoes providing potent antioxidant activity.

For example, studies have suggested high levels of tomatoes can reduce rthe risk of certain cancers, improve eyesight, and improve heart health.

One of the questions that comes up with lycopene is which is better for absorbing the most: fresh tomatoes or a concentrated form of tomatoes such as tomato paste.

A clinical trial published in the Journal of Nutrition published a clinical trial that tested different preperations of tomatoes to determine which will result in the highest blood levels of lycopene.

 spaghetti in italy lycopene  

Here are the study details:

– Study design: Randomized controlled clinical trial

– 33 human participants were enrolled in the study

– The tomato products were served as part of a pasta meal at lunch on four consecutive days, and no other vegetables, fruits or tomato products were consumed during these days.

– Tomatoes used in the study:  starting material for the tomato products were peeled and canned whole tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) (Lipton, Stockton, CA).

– Three groups of different tomato products were used 1) whole tomatoes, 2) mild blended tomatoes, and 3) tomatoes blended under high pressure.

 

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Here are the main results:   

– Both additional heat treatment and homogenization enhanced the release of lycopene during mild extraction.

– Blood levels of lycopene in human subjects was higher with mild and high pressure blended tomatoes compared to whole tomatoes.

– Higher blood levels of lycopene resulted in higher antioxidant activity in human subjects

 

Here are some comments by the authors of the study:

In conclusion, the cellular matrix of tomatoes, which can be disrupted by mechanical homogenization and/or heat treatment, determines the bioavailability of carotenoids.

 

Here are some more articles about tomatoes

Take away message:

The results of this clinical trial suggest that cooking down tomatoes will help release the antioxidant lycopene.  This will result in higher levels of lycopene being absorbed into your blood stream, which can result in higher antioxidant activity.

 

Reference:

Journal of Nutrition. 2000; Volume 130 (Issue 5): Pages 1189-96.

Jeremy Johnson, PharmD, PhD
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Categories: Antioxidant, Clinical Trials, Food