Naturally- Rich In Antioxidants, Carotenoids, Phytochemicals, The New Study Demonstrates
Benefits For Supporting Bone And Joint Health...
Tomato juice can significantly increase the presence of cell-protecting antioxidants that help
to fight against osteoporosis, according to new research. Reporting in Osteoporosis International, calcium researchers
at the University of Toronto (UT) claim that 30mg of lycopene found in tomatoes, the equivalent to two glasses of tomato juice, is enough to help prevent the brittle-bone disease.
Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass, which leads to an increase risk of fractures, especially the hips, spine and wrists. An estimated 75 million people suffer from it in Europe, the US and Japan. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men and previous research indicates that diabetes decreases bone turnover that is associated with impaired osteoblastic maturation and function. Boosting bone density in high-risk and post-menopausal women could ease the burden of osteoporosis.
Lycopenes - High Potency Antioxidant Power!Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes and several fruits. According to the University of Toronto scientists, it is a potent carotenoid, a group of naturally occurring pigments essential
for plant growth with a high ability to quench singlet oxygen.
Due to this ability to decrease oxidative stress, lycopene has been associated with a decreased risk of chronic diseases.
According to the researchers, no intervention studies have been published demonstrating the effect of the antioxidant
lycopene on bone, and that the objective of the study thus was to determine whether lycopene would act as an
antioxidant to decrease oxidative stress parameters that result in decreased bone turnover markers.
Methodology and Evaluating Results
Post-menopausal women aged 50 to 60 were restricted from consuming anything containing lycopene for a month.
The participants were split into four groups over four months. Each group of participants either consumed a 15mg lycopene supplement, a glass of tomato juice naturally containing 15mg of lycopene, a gourmet Japanese tomato juice with 35mg of lycopene or a placebo.
Serum collected after the washout, 2 and 4 months of supplementation, was assayed for cross-linked aminoterminal
N-telopeptide, carotenoid content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid, and protein oxidation. By the end of the initial lycopene-free month, in every participant, "There was an increased reobsorption of bone. In other words, within a month, the participants were more prone to the risk of osteoporosis," explained the researchers from Calcium
Research Laboratory who conducted the study.
After four months, results showed that lycopene-supplementation had significantly increased serum lycopene compared to the placebo group. The lycopene groups had significantly increased antioxidant capacity, decreased oxidative stress parameters and decreased bone reobsorption markers.
The results of the study showed a significant increase in serum lycopene after supplementation with juice or lycopene
capsules, which resulted in a decrease in the bone resorption marker NTx in postmenopausal women:
"This reduction in NTx may be due to the ability of the absorbed lycopene to reduce the oxidative stress parameters
in these women. Our findings are the first to show that lycopene intervention, given in capsule or juice form, supplying at least 30 mg/day, may decrease the risk of osteoporosis by decreasing oxidative stress and bone resorption." concluded the researchers.
Source: Osteoporosis International (published online)"Supplementation with the antioxidant lycopene significantly
decreases oxidative stress parameters and the bone resorption marker N-telopeptide of type I collagen in postmenopausal women"
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice,diagnosis or treatment.
