What happens to the liver when you eat tomatoes? Two studies provide an interesting clue

Two new studies strengthen a possible link between tomatoes and liver health. A clinical trial found an average decrease of 33 units in the CAP index among participants who ate tomato sauce rich in carotenoids. A mouse study focused on phytoene, a colorless carotenoid, and showed a protective effect on the liver, but the effect disappeared in mice lacking certain enzymes. The researchers caution that it is too early to draw therapeutic conclusions.

Two new studies strengthen the possible link between tomatoes and liver health. In a clinical trial published in the European Journal of Nutrition, 98 adults with MASLD - metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - participated. The participants were divided into two groups for 12 weeks: one received organic tomato sauce rich in carotenoids, and the other received regular commercial sauce. The first group showed an average decrease of 33 units in the CAP index compared to a decrease of 12 units in the control group. The effect was more pronounced among men, those aged 60 and over, people with normal weight or overweight, and participants with a mild degree of liver fat accumulation. Meanwhile, researchers from Tufts University fed mice for 24 weeks a diet rich in refined carbohydrates. Some received purified phytoene at a dose equivalent to three to four medium tomatoes per day. The mice that received phytoene developed less severe fatty liver disease. However, when the researchers repeated the experiment in mice lacking the enzymes BCO1 and BCO2, the protective effect almost disappeared. The researchers estimate that substances formed during the breakdown of phytoene may be responsible for the effect. The researchers emphasize that these are separate studies and that it is too early to conclude that tomatoes can be used as a treatment for fatty liver disease.