COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 23 (Nationwide Times) — A new Ohio State study suggests that a specially formulated tomato drink may lower certain inflammation-related proteins in adults with obesity. But the finding comes from a small, short trial, so it does not mean people should treat tomato juice as a proven medical fix.
What the study found
Researchers reported that adults with obesity who drank a tomato-soy beverage for four weeks had significant drops in three proteins tied to chronic inflammation: IL-5, IL-12p70 and GM-CSF. The study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
The same study found that plasma lycopene levels rose 2.48-fold after the tomato-soy drink. Lycopene is a plant pigment found in tomatoes.
Why this matters
Inflammation is the body’s immune response to injury or infection. When it stays active for too long, it can be linked with health problems. The Ohio State study looked at biomarkers, which are measurable signs in blood or urine, not at long-term health outcomes.
That means the research shows a shift in lab markers, not proof that the drink prevents disease or improves health over time.
What was in the drink?
The beverage in the study was not ordinary tomato juice. According to the published abstract, it was made from tomatoes bred to contain high levels of lycopene and was fortified with soy isoflavones.
Participants drank two 6-ounce servings a day.
How the study was done
The trial included 12 adults with obesity. Participants received the tomato-soy drink or a low-carotenoid tomato juice control in a crossover design, with a washout period between phases.
Because the study was so small, it should be read as early evidence rather than a final answer. Fox News, in its coverage of the paper, quoted a researcher saying the beverage was “not a beverage consumers can easily recreate at home,” and said larger studies are needed before broad dietary recommendations can be made.
What the study did not show
The abstract did not report long-term outcomes such as weight loss, heart disease risk, or diabetes prevention. It also does not show that store-bought tomato juice has the same effect.
One marker, TNF-α, trended downward but did not meet conventional statistical significance, according to the abstract.
The study also reported changes in the urine metabolome, which suggests some effects may come from the tomato itself and not only from lycopene.
Has tomato juice been studied before?
Yes. A separate 2013 study indexed in PubMed found that tomato juice consumption was linked with lower inflammatory markers in overweight or obese female students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. That study reported decreases in IL-8 and TNF-α in the intervention group and a drop in IL-6 in obese subjects.
That earlier work involved a different group, a different setting and a different study design, so it should not be confused with the Ohio State trial.
Bottom line
The Ohio State study adds to evidence that tomato-based foods may affect inflammation-related markers. Still, the trial was short and included only 12 adults, so it is too early to draw broad conclusions.
For now, the study is best seen as a promising lab result, not a reason to assume any tomato drink is a cure or a substitute for medical care.
