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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...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its intent to withdraw from the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, with termination effective in 90 days. The current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports, as Commerce has been flooded with comments from them urging its termination. This action will allow U.S. tomato growers to compete fairly in the marketplace.With the termination of this agreement, Commerce will institute an antidumping duty order on July 14, 2025, resulting in duties of 20.91% on most imports of tomatoes from...

days each year — giving plants more time to grow and release allergy-inducing pollen.The freeze-free growing season lengthened in 87% (172) of 198 U.S. cities analyzed since 1970. These 172 cities saw their freeze-free season lengthen by 20 days on average. Cities across the Northwest (+24 days) and Southwest (+20 days) have experienced the largest average change. The first spring leaves and flowers are unfolding early in parts of the south including in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina. Climate Central assessed temperature trends in 198 U.S. cities to see how the length of the freeze-free growing season has changed...

This is in Tampa, Florida. I just came back from the superstore in my neighborhood. Making hay while the sun shines. The grocery markets are going to take pricing through the stratosphere and fleece everyone until Trump gets in on January 20. So what else could possibly motivate such a rise in prices at this particular moment, to this extreme extent? This is an absolute disgrace.

Researchers have shown that the carotenoid phytoene increases the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and can slow the onset of paralysis associated with the formation of amyloid plaques in a model of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, increases in longevity of between 10% and 18.6% and decreases in the proteotoxic effect of plaques of between 30% and 40% were observed. The studies tested pure phytoene and extracts rich in this carotenoid obtained from microalgae. According to Dr. Paula Mapelli Brahm, "These are very exciting preliminary results, so we are looking for funding to continue this line of research and to find...

Tomatoes could help fight off bacterial infections in your gut, a new study has found. One of the world's most widely consumed vegetables (or perhaps fruit?), they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other compounds – two of which scientists at Cornell University in the US have identified for their potent bacteria-killing properties in a series of cell experiments. The research team, led by Cornell microbiologist Jeongmin Song, was interested in Salmonella, a genus of enteric bacteria that invade the intestine, often causing food poisoning. Specifically, the team focused on one typhoidal serotype of Salmonella, Salmonella enterica Typhi, which lives...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

"One woman saw a drone from her balcony and shot it down with a jar of tomatoes."~ Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine in conversation with Hilary Clinton. 🤦‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/23PjWkQHN7— The Poll Lady (@ThePollLady) March 15, 2023

Some vegetables are currently being “rationed” by major United Kingdom supermarkets. Aldi, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have all put limits on customer purchases of peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. So far, the mainstream media has blamed Brexit (which makes little sense considering the bulk of the UK’s vegetables come from Morocco) or the weather. Both of these are advantageous for the public to believe regarding the plans to install a “New World Order” totalitarian slave system using “climate change” as the scapegoat. The cost of producing, harvesting, and transporting all crops has spiked because the cost of oil and gas was...

The researchers discovered that young pigs that ate a diet high in tomatoes for two weeks had an increase in the diversity of their gut microbes and a shift in their gut bacteria towards a more favorable profile. According to researchers, the favorable results obtained from studies on pigs warrant further investigation in human subjects. According to researchers, a diet heavy in tomatoes for two weeks led to an increase in the diversity of gut microbes and a change in gut bacteria towards a more favorable profile in young pigs. Based on these findings from a short-term intervention, the research...

Last month, Freeper ‘Mylife’ posted a recipe for a version of Mexican Street Corn, made as a ‘bowl’ or salad. When I went to try this, our stores didn’t yet have good fresh corn; so it’s still on my list. I’ve seen some recipes that suggest using frozen corn or canned corn, but I don’t suggest you do this – I don’t think it will really ‘char’ properly or taste right. Make this with fresh corn, carved off of the cob. For the cheese, as the recipe suggests, you can use Feta if your store doesn’t have Cotija, but a...

Sunday morning 6:50AM - Started my day by making a cup of coffee. The blinds were slightly open - I could see out. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye - Not A deer - BUT TWO young does happily munching my tomato plants. DANG-IT!In my current locale I am not going to open fire on them and risk the neighbors calling law enforcement - discharging a gun HERE is sort of illegal. "BUT OFFICER, IT WAS SELF DEFENSE! The deer were threatening me!!"No, no - not going to go there... So I go out the door...

If British scientists have their way, two medium-sized tomatoes a day could keep the doctor away. A research team led by scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have edited the genetic makeup of tomatoes to become a robust source of vitamin D, which regulates nutrients like calcium that are imperative to keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Although vitamin D is created in our bodies after exposure to sunlight, its major source is food, largely in dairy and meat.

Protestors pelted French President Emmanuel Macron with tomatoes during his visit to a market in a Paris suburb only one day after his re-election. Marcon, making an appearance in Cergy in his first trip since he was re-elected on Sunday, was shielded with an umbrella by his security detail. They gathered around him, attempting to deflect the barrage of tomatoes with their bodies and limbs. When the tomatoes began to fly in his direction, Macron’s detail sprang into action, putting up the umbrella and shielding him with their hands and arms, wading into the crowd looking for the source of...

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A K9 officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made a massive drug bust early Friday morning in the south valley. According to Las Vegas police, detectives stopped a semi-truck at about 2:30 a.m. Friday morning for erratic driving near the Interstate 15 and St. Rose Parkway. Police say “the nervous driver had a story that didn’t add up.” According to police, K9 Nuggetz indicated an alert for drugs, leading to a search. Among the load of tomatoes in the truck, officers located 230 pounds of cocaine. The cocaine had an estimated value of...

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36 I brought my tomato plants inside the house about a Month ago to allow the tomatoes that were still on the plants to mature instead of letting the plants die in the cold. A Month later one plant has mostly died, but there is still one the last tomato that is almost ready to harvest. As you can see, the other plant is still hanging in there and even has some new tomatoes growing.Now while the plants themselves are wilting...

The flavor of a tomato is an interaction between its taste and aroma. Now, researchers from Japan and the United States have revealed that the pigments that determine the colors of tomatoes also affect their flavor. In a study published this month, researchers from University of Tsukuba developed a new method to rapidly measure the pigment profiles of tomatoes and used the technique to explore how pigments affect the taste and aroma of different tomato varieties. The color of tomatoes is produced by combinations of different types of pigments, including carotenoids and chlorophylls. These pigments can also affect the accumulation...

There is little to look forward to in the sweatiest days of summer—the days when it feels like you can’t cool down even if you peeled your skin off—except for the pleasure of a peak summer tomato and putting that perfect tomato in a sandwich. People have many thoughts on how to construct a tomato sandwich, my preference: squishy white bread, lightly toasted; mayo (Hellmann’s is fine with me, though I know fans of Duke’s mayo have strong feelings here); salt and pepper; and thick slices of the plumpest, juiciest tomatoes I can find—the ones you feel tempted to cradle...

Epidemiological evidence suggests that diets rich in tomatoes and tomato products may be protective against risk for certain cancers, especially prostate cancer. The carotenoid lycopene has received the most attention as the compound in tomatoes responsible for this noted decrease in cancer risk. In raw, red tomatoes, approximately 95% of the total lycopene is present in the all-trans form. Despite the predominance of dietary all-trans-lycopene, cis-isomers account for 58-73% of total lycopene in human serum, and a surprisingly high 79-88% in benign or malignant prostate tissue. This observation is related to isomerization in vivo, as demonstrated by conventional and tracer...

Tomayto, tomahto — to “uh oh.” One Michigan woman landed herself on the wrong side of the law after throwing a violent fit in Burger King, reportedly because the burger she ordered from the chain had tomatoes on it, much to her dramatic dismay. Porsha Tyler stormed into a Livonia Burger King and demanded a cash refund, WXYZ reports, as the burger she ordered included tomatoes, which she clearly did not want. The incident occured on Jan. 27. According to the outlet, the woman brought the sandwich with her and things quickly took a turn for the worse.