Posted on 05/11/2025 8:22:23 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
New research suggests that lycopene, which gives fruits like tomatoes and watermelons their bright red color, supports healthy liver functioning and may help prevent weight gain.
Lycopene is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory compound that is naturally produced by some plants. It is also available as a dietary supplement.
The researchers' interest in studying the impacts of tomato consumption and lycopene on obesity was sparked by a previous study that showed dietary estrogen supplements prevented zebrafish from becoming obese despite being overfed. Since lycopene and other compounds found in tomatoes affect some of the same chemical pathways as estrogen, the scientists wondered if eating tomatoes could have a similar effect.
Researchers conducted a series of experiments in which they fed zebrafish a normal or high-fat diet along with various combinations of tomato extract, estrogen supplements and lycopene supplements.
They found that fish consuming a high-fat diet supplemented with a tomato extract were more effectively protected from weight gain than fish on a high-fat diet supplemented with dietary estrogen. Also, fish that were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with both estrogen and lycopene had lower blood sugar levels compared with fish consuming a normal diet. This finding suggests that lycopene consumption improves the breakdown of fat in the liver.
The researchers also found that the benefits of tomato consumption happened fast, showing a significant difference in metabolism after just one week.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I have taken lycopene for many years.
I eat lots of tomatoes, or tomato derivatives. Still overweight....maybe I shouldn’t eat them with candy bars, Ice cream, or potato chips.
Well, sure!
if it is good for zebrafish,
it should be good for me!!!
A compound with estrogen supplements?
Hmm... I’ll pass. Thanks.
Possible unwanted side effects.
Lycopene has no estrogen supplements. Lycopene actually affects those pathways in a healthy, non-estrogenic way.
I see. Thank you. Then, I took the wrong summary from one of those paragraphs. My eyes zeroed in on that hormonal term.
I’ve read that heating tomatoes activates the lycopene. The lycopene in uncooked tomatoes isn’t as potent.
What dosage do you take, if you don’t mind me asking.
No wonder I’m losing so much weight with my lasagna and pizza diet ... oh, wait a minute...
How many tomatoes do you have to eat to loose weight seems like an odd question to ask.
Tomatoes in large quantities upset my stomach.
I take 15mg twice a day, but I do that amount because it helps with men’s prostates.
Thank you, that’s helpful.
Lypocene is also in cara cara oranges.
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