Meatballs could destroy the anti-cancer benefits of tomato sauce

New research suggests eating your tomato sauce with stacked meatballs on it could have a surprising disadvantage.

According to a new study from Ohio State University, tomatoes, especially those of a compound called lycopene, could lose some benefits when they are eaten with iron-rich foods.

The researchers analyzed the blood and digestive fluid of a small group of medical students after consuming either a tomato extract shake with iron or an iron-free shake. Levels of lycopene in the digestive fluid and in the blood were significantly lower when study subjects drank liquid meal mixed with an iron supplement, which meant that the body was using it less in ways potentially beneficial.

"When people ate iron, their lycopene intake nearly doubled over time," said Rachel Kopec, senior study author, assistant professor of human nutrition at Ohio State.

"This could have potential implications whenever a person consumes something rich in lycopene and iron, for example a Bolognese sauce, or an iron-fortified cereal with a slice of tomato juice. half as much lycopene as you would without iron. "

Iron is essential in the diet, fulfilling essential functions allowing our body to produce energy and to get rid of waste. But it is also a nutrient that is known to the monkey with other processes at the cellular level.

"We know that if you mix iron with certain compounds, it will destroy them, but we did not know it would alter the potentially beneficial carotenoids, such as lycopene, found in fruits and vegetables," Kopec said.

Carotenoids are plant pigments with antioxidant properties responsible for many bright red, yellow and orange pigments found in the fruit and vegetable department. These include lycopene, which is abundant in tomatoes and also colors watermelon and pink grapefruit. Scientists have identified several potential anticancer benefits of lycopene, particularly in cancers of the prostate, lung and skin.

The small study, which included seven French medical students who had undergone repeated blood sampling and digestive samples taken from tubes placed in their stomachs and small intestines, made it possible to take this research out of the test tube into the human body. , thus allowing better examine metabolism in action, said Kopec.

It is unclear exactly what is happening that changes the uptake of lycopene, but it could be that the meal containing iron oxidizes lycopene, thus creating metabolism products different from those followed in the study.

"It is also possible that iron interrupts the nice emulsified mixture of tomatoes and fats that is essential for the cells to absorb lycopene.It could make it a substance similar to salad dressing separated – from oil to oil. top and vinegar to never mix properly, "said Kopec.

Researchers continue to work to better understand the role of lycopene in the fight against cancer and the importance of its interaction with other compounds and nutrients.

"Nutrition can play an important role in preventing disease, but it's important for us to gather details about how our diet contributes to our health so we can give people reliable, scientific recommendations," Kopec said. .