Two very common ingredients could almost work miracles: it's the drink of the moment

A study reveals the benefits of tomato-soy juice, an anti-inflammatory beverage that offers new perspectives on chronic diseases.

• A tomato and soy-based drink shows significant anti-inflammatory potential, with useful effects in combating chronic diseases related to obesity.
• A study from Ohio State University observed a significant reduction in three cytokines in 12 obese adults after four weeks of daily consumption.
• The combination of lycopene and isoflavones appears to work better than tomatoes alone, opening up new prospects for pancreatitis and other inflammatory conditions.

There's a drinkable combination that promises to make a crucial contribution to controlling chronic inflammation, responsible for numerous diseases, including obesity: soy and tomato, two very common ingredients that, when combined, create an anti-inflammatory beverage that appears to multiply their positive effects and play a useful role in combating chronic diseases. This is revealed by the results of a recent US study, which highlighted the benefits of this combination and suggested the possibility of using it as a functional food to control chronic inflammation.

The study's premise: the benefits of tomatoes and soy

The clinical study, conducted by a team from Ohio State University and published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, used a specially formulated tomato-soy juice developed years ago by the same research team after previous studies suggested that diets rich in tomato or soy products were associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.

These beneficial effects are due to lycopene, an antioxidant carotenoid found in large quantities in tomatoes, which gives them their red color, and soy isoflavones, a group of compounds capable of mimicking some of the actions of human estrogen hormones. The juice was produced using tomatoes specially selected for their high lycopene content and enriched with soy isoflavone extract.

Subsequent research conducted at Ohio State University found that higher tomato juice consumption was associated with lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in some men with prostate cancer. Other studies have also indicated that tomatoes and soy, alone or in combination, may influence inflammatory and metabolic processes linked to obesity and other chronic diseases.

Based on this evidence, the researchers decided to launch a clinical study using this tomato and soy juice to test the effects of these two ingredients on inflammation in obese patients.

How was the research conducted and what results did it produce?

The study involved 12 healthy, obese adults who drank two 6-ounce cans of tomato-soy juice daily for four weeks. After a rest period, they consumed a low-carotenoid tomato juice for another four weeks. Researchers collected blood samples before and after each four-week period and measured levels of cytokines, inflammatory proteins produced by the immune system.

After drinking tomato and soy juice, a significant reduction in the levels of three cytokines was observed, which was not observed after consuming tomato juice alone: ​​this result suggests that the combined action of tomato lycopene and soy isoflavones, combined in the drink, has the capacity to substantially and measurably influence human biology, exerting a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.

From obesity to pancreatitis: the potential new frontiers of tomato and soy blends against inflammation.

Further animal studies conducted by the same research team suggest that tomato and soy juice can reduce inflammation in people with pancreatitis, helping to reduce the severity of the condition. Based on this evidence, and in light of the positive effects on inflammation levels observed in obese individuals, a new pilot clinical trial has been funded on patients with pancreatitis. The goal is to test the beneficial effects of the tomato-soy combination and explore its potential therapeutic uses to improve the quality of life of those suffering from this condition. While we wait for science to fully understand its benefits, why not try this unusual blend at home by making a unique and super-healthy tomato and soy juice?