A delicacy no matter how it is served, tomatoes have been recently discovered to possess a couple of surprises for postmenopausal women who consume them.
In a study conducted by researchers from Rutgers University, it was realized that simply increasing the amount of tomatoes consumed helped improve the concentration of a hormone important in the regulation of blood sugar and fats.
The longitudinal cross study involved 70 postmenopausal women who were to be alternatively placed on soy-rich and tomato-rich diets for a total period of 20 weeks.
The women were encouraged to refrain from consuming soy or tomato products in the two weeks prior to the study.
In the first 10 weeks, the women were placed on a tomato-rich diet, consuming a minimum of 25mg of lycopene daily. Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomato and other fruits, where it contributes to the pigmentation of the fruit.
In the following 10 weeks, the women were put on a soy-rich diet, consuming at least 40g of soy daily. While on these diet regimens, the levels of adiponectin were constantly evaluated. Adiponectin is a hormone that lowers the levels of body fat and blood sugars.
Tomato Increases Adiponectin
The researchers found that levels of adiponectin were elevated by as much as 9% during the period in which the women were on a tomato-rich diet. In contrast, adiponectin levels were suppressed while the women were on the soy rich diet.
Because lowering the level of body fat and blood sugar are instrumental in the fight against obesity, the researchers concluded that increased tomato consumption could be a simple way of helping in weight loss.
As an increased Body Mass Index is also associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer, the researchers arrived at the plausible conclusion that tomato consumption can also be contributing factor in stymieing the progression of breast cancer, even though that relation seems, to me, slightly convoluted.
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