Can tomatoes protect us from alcohol's effects?

Can tomatoes protect us from alcohol's effects?


Whether in a juice, a salad, or a sauce, studies show that tomatoes can fight off the damage we inflict on ourselves when we drink alcohol.
Scientific studies show that tomatoes can protect both the liver and brain from damage caused by alcohol consumption.
The effects of an evening with a few alcoholic beverages are familiar to many of us.
While moderate alcohol consumption may be beneficial to long-term health, excessive drinking certainly is not.
Tomatoes may not save you from a headache, dizziness, and bloodshot eyes that are the telltale signs of the morning after the big night out, but research shows that tomatoes can shield your brain and liver from the havoc that alcohol wreaks on these organs.
Tomatoes reduce damage in the liver
On standard drink in the United States contains 14 grams of alcohol. This is equivalent to 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirit, such as vodka containing 40 percent alcohol.
Enzymes in the liver break down the alcohol that we drink. This causes oxidative damage to liver cells and widespread inflammation.
Dr Xiang-Dong Wang - director of the nutrition and cancer biology laboratory at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, MA - and his team tested the effect of tomatoes on rats exposed to alcohol.
The experiments used the equivalent of 100 grams of alcohol consumption, which is approximately 7 standard alcoholic drinks, daily for 4 weeks. This mimics chronic, excessive alcohol intake in humans.
Three different tomato products were tested:
·     tomato powder, which is nutritionally equivalent to the whole tomato
·     tomato extract, which contains only fat-soluble components
·     purified lycopene, which is the red pigment that gives tomatoes their colour and a known antioxidant
Tomato powder, but not extract or purified lycopene, reduced the effects of alcohol damage in over 90 percent of the rats.
These results are in line with the team's earlier findings that lycopene on its own does not prevent liver damage but points to whole tomatoes being the key.
However, the liver is not the only organ affected by the alcohol that we drink.
Lycopene can prevent moderate damage
Whether alcohol is good for long-term health or not, even modest intake causes damage to brain cells. Oxidative damage and inflammation are once again thought to be the culprits. Could tomatoes come to the rescue?
Ross Grant, a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Sydney in Australia, and his research team showed that the equivalent of two standard alcoholic drinks caused DNA damage to brain cells within 15 minutes.
But treating such cells with lycopene for 3.5 hours before exposing them to alcohol significantly reduced the damage.
Interestingly, purified lycopene was protective to brain cells, while whole tomatoes were needed to see similar effects in the liver.
How many tomatoes are needed?
In Dr Wang's study, the team used tomato powder at a concentration equal to a 70-kilogram man consuming 12.46 milligrams of lycopene per day. The average intake in the U.S. is around 9.4 milligrams per day.
But the authors explain that levels such as the one used in their study are easily achievable by "eating four medium-sized tomatoes" or "one-third of a cup of tomato sauce" daily.
The best way to avoid the damaging effects of alcohol is, of course, to abstain from drinking it.
However, should you wish to indulge in a drink or two, a daily dose of tomatoes certainly seems to go some way toward protecting your brain and liver - whichever method of consumption you choose.

NUTRITION / DIET 
ALCOHOL / ADDICTION / ILLEGAL DRUGS LIVER DISEASE / HEPATITISNEUROLOGY / NEUROSCIENCE

Tomatoes Lower Stroke Risk
If you eat plenty of tomatoes your risk of having a stroke will probably be lower, scientists from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio revealed in the October 9th issue of...



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Breast cancer charities: How to make an impact

Breast cancer charities: How to make an impact With thousands of charities competing for donations, it can be difficult to know where a financial gift to a good cause will make the biggest impact. This article outlines the top  breast cancer  charities in the United States and their specific contributions to the cause, plus other factors to keep in mind before donating. The history of the pink ribbon The pink ribbon is a symbol of breast cancer and is often sold to raise money for breast cancer charities. Breast cancer activist and survivor Charlotte Hayley inspired the design of the pink ribbon, which is still in use today. Hayley initially handed out peach-coloured looped ribbons that she made herself with a card stating: "The National Cancer Institute's annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for  cancer  prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." In 1991, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundati...
Read more

Lung cancer and cough: What is the connection?

Image
Lung cancer and cough: What is the connection? Everyone has experienced a nagging cough after a cold or needed to cough while in a quiet room. Despite these problems, coughing actually serves a very valuable and useful purpose. Coughing is a protective action, helping the lungs clear out potential germs or harmful objects.  Sometimes, however, that cough is not linked to a cold or infection and can linger for weeks to months at a time. This may lead people to wonder or worry that their cough is a sign of something more serious, such as  lung cancer . This article takes a look at the connection between coughing and lung cancer, including when someone should see a doctor. Coughing and lung cancer A cough associated with lung cancer may be either dry or wet. Not every a cough signifies the presence of lung cancer. However, many people do complain of a chronic cough or a "cough that just won't go away" at the time of their diagnosis. If a cough is associate...
Read more

For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management

For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management  Research shows a possible link between diabetes and cognitive decline, including increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The scientific reason behind the link between diabetes and brain health is complex. Some scientists believe people with diabetes may also have insulin resistance or insulin deficiency that could damage brain cells enough to cause memory loss. Studies are underway to understand why 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. However, so far, longitudinal research has not produced a consensus view regarding the link between blood glucose levels and cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, in South Florida, medical professionals are working with diabetic patients to minimize the risk of cognitive decline through a variety of methods that include lifestyle, medical and mental-...
Read more