It’s tomato season! The brilliantly-colored summer time treats frequent in all our gardens are main gamers in one among in the present day’s modern analysis matters in osteoporosis: how oxidative harm causes the irritation which ends up in bone breakdown.
What makes tomatoes so attention-grabbing to the scientists finding out the consequences of oxidative harm? Tomatoes are significantly extremely in a bone-protective antioxidant often known as lycopene. It has lengthy been famous that individuals who devour extra tomatoes, tomato paste, sauces, juice, and tomato merchandise of all types expertise a decrease fracture fee than those that devour much less.
So how are you going to get from 12 to 30 milligrams of lycopene a day with out taking additional dietary supplements? It’s actually fairly simple if you happen to like tomatoes as I do. Vivid crimson tomatoes — in sauces, soup, juices, or simply plain sliced up on the plate—are loaded with lycopene!
Tomato merchandise and lycopene content material
Tomato product Serving Dimension Lycopene content material
Tomato paste 1/4 cup 18.84 mg
Tomato puree, canned 1 cup 54.38 mg
Tomato sauce, canned 1 cup 34.25 mg
Pasta sauce, canned 1 cup 31.66 mg
Vegetable juice cocktail 1 cup 23.38 mg
Tomato juice 1 cup 21.91 mg
Tomato soup 1 cup 13.05 mg
Tomato, uncooked 1 complete 3.17 mg
Oh, and if you happen to don’t like tomatoes, get pleasure from watermelon, papaya, grapefruit — additionally good sources of lycopene.
Lastly, I already hear this query lots, “However aren’t tomatoes are acid-forming?” True, tomatoes are barely acid-forming, however their advantages outweigh any small acid contribution, which will be simply buffered with our Alkaline for Life Eating regimen®. Be effectively and benefit from the fruits of summer time! Right here’s a recipe to get you began:
Bone-healthy salsa recipe
• 4 giant tomatoes (or 6 plum tomatoes) chopped
• 1 small white onion, diced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Handful of contemporary cilantro
• Salt to style
Combine collectively and serve (or add a chopped cucumber for an excellent summer time tomato salad).
References:
Sahni, S et al., Protective Effect of Total Carotenoid and Lycopene Intake On The Risk Of Hip Fracture: A 17 Year, Follow-Up From the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, JBMR, Vol. 24, No.6.2009:10861094.
Mackinnon, ES et al., Supplementation with the Antioxidant Lycopene Significantly Decreases Oxidative Stress Parameters In The Bone Resorption Marker N-telopeptide Of Type I Collagen In Postmenopausal Women. Osteoporosis worldwide (2011) 22:1091-1101
US Dept. of Agriculture, Agriculture Analysis Service. USDA Nationwide Nutrient Database For Normal Reference, Launch 24, Lycopene.
