Intense Heat May Boost Tomato Antioxidant »

Posted By emy2008 1 year, 4 months ago in News

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The researchers from the Ohio State University developed new way of processing red tomatoes that may boost their disease-fighting power. Red tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, a naturally occurring pigment believed to help prevent cancer and other chronic diseases. The standard structure of lycopene in red tomatoes is linear, which may hinder the molecule' s absorption through intestinal walls and into the blood. Most lycopene molecules circulating in human blood have a bent structure. This indicates that either the human body somehow reshapes linear lycopene molecules or that bent molecules are much more likely to be absorbed into the blood.