COLUMBUS, OH (WOWO) A specially formulated tomato-soy beverage may help reduce markers of chronic inflammation in adults with obesity, according to a small study from Ohio State University.
Researchers found that participants who drank the beverage daily for four weeks experienced significant reductions in three proteins linked to systemic inflammation compared with those who consumed standard tomato juice.
The findings, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, add to growing research examining whether certain plant compounds and bioactive nutrients found in foods can influence inflammation and overall health.
Researchers emphasized, however, that the beverage tested in the study was not ordinary tomato juice found on grocery store shelves.
The drink was made using tomatoes bred to contain elevated levels of lycopene, an antioxidant responsible for tomatoes’ red color, and was fortified with soy isoflavones, naturally occurring plant compounds found in soybeans.
Study participants consumed two 6-ounce servings of the tomato-soy beverage each day for four weeks.
Researchers compared the effects of the specially formulated drink with standard tomato juice and found that only the fortified beverage produced significant reductions in three inflammatory proteins associated with chronic inflammation.
Experts say the findings are promising but should be interpreted cautiously because of the size and scope of the research.
Registered dietitian Jamie Lee McIntyre, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the research adds to evidence that compounds naturally found in foods may influence inflammation pathways.
“This study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that bioactive compounds in foods may help influence inflammation, but it’s important to keep the findings in perspective,” McIntyre said.
She noted that the beverage used in the research contained concentrated amounts of lycopene and soy isoflavones that consumers would not necessarily be able to replicate with regular tomato products.
“Researchers tested a specially formulated tomato-soy juice that contained concentrated amounts of lycopene and soy isoflavones — not a beverage consumers can easily recreate at home,” McIntyre said.
The study included only 12 adults with obesity and lasted four weeks, limiting the ability to draw conclusions about long-term health effects or whether the drink would provide similar benefits for a larger population.
“That’s enough to generate an interesting hypothesis but not enough to conclude that this beverage will reduce inflammation or improve health outcomes for the general population,” McIntyre said.
Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s immune response, but long-term, low-level inflammation has been associated with several chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
Researchers say the study highlights the potential role of food-based interventions in managing inflammation, but additional research involving larger groups of people will be needed.
McIntyre said consumers should avoid focusing on a single “anti-inflammatory” food or drink as a solution and instead prioritize an overall healthy eating pattern.
“The exciting part of nutrition research is seeing how foods may support health in new ways, but one small study shouldn’t outweigh decades of evidence,” she said.
“For most people, the biggest payoff still comes from consistently eating a colorful, varied diet rather than chasing the latest nutrition headline.”
Researchers at Ohio State say future studies will examine whether similar food-based approaches can produce measurable improvements in inflammation and other health outcomes over longer periods of time.
