ABSTRACT
Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant. Tomato products improve antioxidant defenses and reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases, at least partly due to the presence of lycopene. Lycopene, as an anti-inflammatory agent, prevents the production of inflammatory cytokines. Obesity is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the increased level of body fat leads to an increase in circulating inflammatory mediators. We hypothesized that the consumption of a lycopene-rich food would reduce inflammation in people with overweight or obesity. One hundred and six overweight or obese female students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were enrolled and randomly allocated to an intervention group [n=53] or a control group [n=53], consuming 330 ml/day of tomato juice or water respectively, for 20 days. At baseline and day 20, serum concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were analyzed by ELISA and compared between groups. Serum concentrations of interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group and compared to the baseline. Subgroup analysis indicated that this effect was confined to subjects who were overweight. Among obese subjects, serum interleukin-6 concentration was decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group, with no observed differences in interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Tomato juice reduces inflammation in overweight and obese females. Thus, increasing tomato intake may provide a useful approach for reducing the risk of inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, associated with obesity