Recent studies have shown that tomatoes reduce the harmful effects of alcohol on the body. Now, this doesn’t mean you can do a tequila shot with a tomato chaser and escape the consequences. This fruit won’t save you from the headache and other horrors of a hangover. It also doesn’t prevent the intoxication that leads to poor choices.
What tomatoes can provide is some protection for your organs. Research revealed tomatoes “can protect the liver and brain from damage caused by alcohol consumption.” As we know, alcohol consumption wreaks havoc on both of these organs. With this tomato discovery, we may have found a helpful antidote for some of the damage done by alcohol. Here’s the scoop.
A team of researchers from Tufts University in Boston, MA tested 3 tomato products to analyze their efficacy against the detrimental effects of alcohol in the body. Previous studies have shown that 2 standard alcoholic drinks can cause DNA damage to brain cells within 15 minutes of intake. And, as we all know, alcohol is broken down by enzymes in the liver, and these toxic by-products cause damage to liver cells.
This current study focused on the usefulness of tomatoes in safeguarding the body versus the damage created by consuming 7 standard alcoholic drinks daily. The amount of alcohol consumption was purposefully chosen by the team to mirror the effects of excessive, chronic drinking in humans.
The researchers used tomato powder, tomato extract, and purified lycopene. The powder offered the same nutritional equivalent to a tomato and the extract contained only fat-soluble components. The lycopene is the red-pigment antioxidant that gives tomatoes their color. The results of the 4-week experiment showed that:
The researchers determined that drinking tomato juice triggers enzymes in your liver. These enzymes are released when you drink. They break down or metabolize the alcohol in your liver. The tomato juice apparently released considerably more of the enzymes than usual.
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This study was proposed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Huma R & D Co. Ltd. Informed consent was obtained from 78 healthy Japanese men older than 20 years who participated in baseline screening. Inclusion criteria for the clinical study were as follows: (i) aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotype: ALDH2*1/*1; (ii) healthy males, free of chronic illness such as liver, kidney, heart, gastrointestinal, lung, endocrine, metabolic diseases, and mental disorders; (iii) the ability to drink 1.2 g/kg alcohol as a Japanese distilled spirit (Shochu) and conduct abstinence according to the protocol. ALDH2*1/*2 or ALDH2*2/*2 subjects were excluded as they have a genetic intolerance to drinking higher quantities of alcohol [16].
The stimulant and sedative scores produced following alcohol ingestion are presented as box plots in Fig. . The sedative score at 6:00 (the next morning) was significantly different between the AFT and control groups. The stimulant scores had no differences for any of the time points between both groups. Specifically, out of the seven items on the sedative subscale, the scores of the three items, down, heavy head, and sluggish exhibited significant differences between the AFT and control group. The three scores from the AFT group were significantly lower than those of the control group.
Research & Development Laboratories for Innovation, Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., 1-21, Midori 1-chome, Moriya-shi, Ibaraki 302-0106 Japan Find articles by
The blood acetaldehyde concentration was measured using a 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivative method for acetaldehyde by ultraviolet detection (365 nm) using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique used in a previous report [17]. The blood acetate level was determined using HPLC (Shimadzu organic acid determination system; Shimadzu, Japan) fitted with an ion-exclusion column and a conductivity detector [18]. Following collection, the blood samples (0.5 mL) were mixed with 1.0 mL of 0.5 N perchloric acid and the supernatants were prepared by centrifugation. The serum alanine concentration was analyzed using an automated precolumn derivatization amino acid analytical method based on HPLC/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UF-Amino Station system; Shimadzu, Japan) as previously described [19]. The levels of plasma glucose and vasopressin; blood vitamin B1; serum vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin C; and urinary pH were measured by a local laboratory for clinical examination (SRL Inc., Tokyo, Japan).
In our results, we demonstrated that the combination of tomato and alanine decreased the BrAC in healthy male subjects. We believe that insoluble dietary fiber that exerts a synergistic action with alanine in tomatoes observed in previous studies [14, 15] is the main mechanism by which this effect occurs. In addition, we confirmed that the ethanol-maintaining ability of dietary fiber in delaying the gastric emptying in the alcohol absorption process vanished because of heat processing under the dried condition of that (data not shown). The 12 g of dietary fiber in the meal was relevant for determining the effect of deactivation by thermal sterilization.
12 Benefits Of Drinking Tomato Juice Every Morning | Tomato Juice Benefits
FAQ
Does tomato juice help with alcohol?
Does tomato juice help the liver?
What are the benefits of drinking tomato juice?
Do tomatoes soak up alcohol?
Why do people drink tomato juice?
“So we started observing passenger behavior, and then, of course, talking to flight attendants often,” says Derenthal. They soon realized that everyone has a different reason for drinking tomato juice. Some drink it because it’s filling. Others say it settles the stomach and helps with air sickness. And most people just drink it because it’s there.
Why do I keep drinking lots of juice?
This depends on many factors about your life that I am not aware of, but my tip is: opt for natural or pulp juices that are healthier and don’t exaggerate, because juices are caloric and nothing in excess is healthy.
Is tomato juice a healthy drink?
Tomato juice can be a healthy drink choice for many people. Nutrient-dense tomato juice makes an excellent choice for those with increased nutrient needs, such as older adults and those who smoke. For example, people who smoke cigarettes need more vitamin C than the those who don’t.
Can you drink tomato juice without alcohol?
Or you can have it healthier and drink tomato juice with no alcohol. This vodka and tomato juice drink contains 105 calories per serving. It may come as a surprise, but vodka contributes half the amount of calories. Every serving of our cocktail contains 1 fl oz of 80 proof distilled vodka. 1 fl oz of vodka contains about 64 calories.