Test findings have shown that intake of tomato puree can increase blood and lymphocyte lycopene concentration and reduced lymphocyte DNA damage by 50 percent. Beta-carotene concentration increased in blood but not in lymphocytes. The concentration of lycopene in the blood was 18 percent and lymphocyte lycopene concentration was 38 percent.

The study consisted of nine female subjects who consumed 25 g of tomato puree containing 7 mg of lycopene and 0.3 mg of beta-carotene, for 14 consecutive days.

It was noted that when lycopene concentrations rose, oxidative DNA damage was reduced and vice versa. Hence experts suggested in the Journal of Nutrition (2000, Vol 130, Iss 2, pp 189-192) that adding small quantities of tomato puree to the diet over a short period can increase carotenoid concentrations and the resistance of lymphocytes to free radical stress.

Information provided is courtesy of and compiled by the Academy of Anti-Aging Research staff, editors, and other reports.

For the first 500 years since the tomato was discovered, it was labeled a poisonous food due to the red color. It’s amazing how fear can paralyze the human brain. Now we know that tomato is a rich source of antioxidants, of which Lycopene is one. The anti-aging lesson is simple - eat your tomatoes and eat them cooked.