A recent small study has found that consuming a couple of tablespoons of a common pantry item, often used to enhance pasta sauce, may be associated with improved attention and processing speed. Conducted in Spain, researchers found that participants who ingested around two tablespoons of tomato paste daily for three months performed slightly better on tests measuring concentration, processing speed, and associative memory compared to when they followed a diet low in lycopene, the red antioxidant pigment present in tomatoes and other fruits.
The study involved forty-two healthy adults aged 40 to 55, who followed each diet for three months, with a month-long washout period in between. During the low-lycopene phase, participants maintained their regular eating habits but avoided foods like tomatoes.
When participants consumed the tomato paste, they averaged about 35 grams daily, which is about 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. Results showed an average increase of 7.2 points in concentration scores, 8.3 points in processing speed, and 0.8 points for a test that involved matching faces to names.
The trial utilized a randomized crossover design, meaning participants acted as their own controls before and after incorporating tomato paste into their diets. Blood tests indicated a mild increase in BDNF, a protein essential for brain cell growth and adaptability, in line with the research findings.
Additionally, brain scans conducted on a small subset of participants revealed changes in resting connectivity, indicating how different brain regions interact when not engaged in specific tasks. Researchers suggested that this pattern might hint at more effective communication within the brain, though the small sample size means that no definitive brain benefits can be claimed.
While the study, published in the journal Antioxidants, did not prove that tomato paste could prevent cognitive decline or diseases, it does provide an early glimpse into how lycopene-rich tomato products might influence brain function. The findings were described as preliminary, with a call for larger studies to substantiate the claims.
Dr. John Showalter, an internal medicine physician from Pennsylvania, remarked that even though the study size was limited, it aligns with a broader range of research suggesting that incorporating naturally red foods is important for health. He also pointed out that while the results imply that limiting lycopene-rich foods may hinder brain function, it’s not necessarily the tomato paste acting as a cognitive enhancer on its own.
According to Showalter, lower levels of lycopene are linked to higher mortality rates and an increased incidence of cardiovascular events, along with a growing body of evidence indicating that low lycopene levels could negatively impact brain health. Other foods like watermelon, papaya, and red peppers are also good sources of lycopene, but cooked and concentrated tomato products like ketchup and sun-dried tomatoes can offer higher concentrations.
