A new study suggests that a special tomato and soy drink may help lower harmful inflammation in people with obesity.
Researchers say the findings add to growing evidence that certain foods may help improve health in natural ways.
The study was carried out by researchers at The Ohio State University and was published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Inflammation is the body’s natural defense system. When the body is injured or fighting infection, inflammation helps protect tissues and support healing. However, when inflammation continues for a long time, it may become harmful instead of helpful.
Long-term inflammation has been linked to many serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and some cancers. Scientists have been searching for safe ways to reduce this chronic inflammation, and many researchers believe diet may play an important role.
In the new study, researchers focused on two plant compounds that have attracted attention for years: lycopene from tomatoes and isoflavones from soy.
Lycopene is a natural substance that gives tomatoes their bright red color. It belongs to a group of plant chemicals called carotenoids, which are believed to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.
Soy isoflavones are natural compounds found in soybeans. These compounds are sometimes called phytoestrogens because they can act in ways that are similar to the hormone estrogen in the body. Previous research has suggested that soy isoflavones may support heart health and reduce inflammation.
Scientists at Ohio State had already spent years developing a tomato-soy juice with especially high levels of these compounds. Earlier studies had hinted that the drink might help lower prostate cancer risk and affect inflammation-related pathways in the body.
In the new research, the scientists wanted to test whether the juice could directly influence inflammation in people.
The study involved 12 healthy adults with obesity. Obesity is known to increase chronic inflammation because extra body fat can produce inflammatory chemicals that affect many organs and tissues.
Participants drank two 6-ounce cans of the tomato-soy juice every day for four weeks. After a washout period, they later drank a control tomato juice for another four weeks. The control juice did not contain the same high levels of lycopene and soy isoflavones.
Researchers collected blood samples before and after each phase of the study. They measured cytokines, which are proteins produced by the immune system that help control inflammation.
The results showed that the tomato-soy juice lowered blood levels of three important inflammatory proteins. These included IL-5, IL-12p70, and GM-CSF. Another inflammatory marker called TNF-alpha also appeared to decrease, although the change was not strong enough to be considered statistically certain.
The control juice did not produce the same improvements.
The researchers also examined urine samples to study changes in metabolites. Metabolites are tiny molecules created when the body breaks down food and carries out chemical reactions.
The findings showed that both juices caused some biological changes, but the tomato-soy juice created additional shifts linked to soy compounds. This suggested that the drink was actively affecting processes inside the body.
Jessica Cooperstone, associate professor at Ohio State and lead author of the study, said the goal was to test food-based treatments carefully and scientifically instead of simply assuming certain foods are healthy.
The researchers believe the findings are promising because they suggest certain foods may help reduce chronic inflammation without using medications.
However, the study was small, and more research is still needed. Only 12 participants were included, and the trial lasted just four weeks. Scientists will need larger and longer studies to confirm whether the juice produces meaningful long-term health benefits.
The research team has already started another clinical trial involving patients with pancreatitis, a painful condition involving inflammation of the pancreas. Earlier animal studies suggested the tomato-soy juice might reduce inflammation and lessen disease severity in pancreatitis.
Researchers hope future studies may show whether this kind of food-based approach could improve quality of life for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.
Looking at the findings overall, the study offers an interesting example of how foods may influence the body beyond basic nutrition. The research was carefully designed with clinical testing and biological measurements, which strengthens the credibility of the results.
At the same time, the small number of participants means the conclusions should be viewed cautiously. The findings do not prove that tomato-soy juice can prevent or treat disease, but they do support the idea that certain plant compounds may help reduce inflammation.
Future large-scale studies will be important to determine whether these effects are strong enough to improve long-term health outcomes in real patients.
Source: The Ohio State University.
