Eating more tomatoes is very beneficial for men.

Introduction: New research has found that eating tomatoes in the morning allows the antioxidant lycopene to function more effectively, and the absorption efficiency of lycopene is highest in the morning.

It has already been proven that the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients in the human body fluctuate throughout the day, and the absorption rate of the same nutrient varies at different times. Therefore, it is most beneficial to consume a nutrient during the time window when it is most easily absorbed. Accordingly, KAGOME Corporation of Japan investigated the timing and absorption rate of lycopene, which is abundant in tomatoes, within the body.

In the investigation, experimental mice were divided into a morning group, a noon group, and an evening group. Each group of mice was fed 6 grams of feed mixed with freeze-dried tomato powder for 4 consecutive weeks. After this period, the changes in lycopene concentration in the mice's blood were recorded and investigated.

The results showed that after consuming the tomato-containing feed, the lycopene concentration in the blood of the morning group mice was higher than that of the noon and evening groups after 3 hours. In addition, the conclusion drawn from calculating the lycopene absorption index—the area under the blood concentration curve (AUC)—also showed that eating tomatoes in the morning yielded the highest value, indicating the greatest amount of lycopene absorbed.

Therefore, KAGOME Corporation researchers believe that eating tomatoes in the morning promotes the absorption efficiency of lycopene in the body more effectively than at noon or in the evening, and the amount absorbed also increases. Lycopene is remarkably effective in both inhibiting melanin production and reducing collagen loss. Consequently, tomatoes have become a powerful ally for women's beauty and skincare.

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes

Eating tomatoes helps men improve fertility

In addition to being highly effective for women's beauty concerns such as fading dark spots and whitening, lycopene also plays a significant role in promoting and protecting male reproductive function.

British scientists have discovered that the lycopene, which gives tomato soup its red color, might be able to strengthen men's sperm into "super sperm." Scientists infer that if men drink a bowl of tomato soup daily, their fertility could be significantly enhanced.

Five urology experts from the Department of Biosciences at the University of Portsmouth in the UK randomly selected healthy men with an average age of 42 and asked them to drink a bowl of tomato soup daily for two weeks. During this period, their semen samples were collected. The results showed that the level of lycopene in the semen, which can eliminate harmful free radicals that cause male infertility, increased significantly by 7% to 12%. Therefore, it is very necessary to eat more tomatoes in daily life.

Cauliflower with Tomatoes

Drinking tomato juice before exercise helps fight fatigue

In previous research, it was found that tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene and various other nutritional components such as vitamins, minerals, and organic acids, which can help reduce fatigue. To clarify the specific role of tomato juice in combating fatigue, a joint research team was formed by the well-known Japanese food company Kagome and Suzuka Medical University to investigate the effects of tomato juice on fatigue biomarkers in the blood and the optimal time for consumption.

In the experiment, researchers had one group of experimental mice drink tomato juice 1 hour before exercise, another group drink tomato juice after running on a treadmill for 1 hour, and a third group drink tomato juice 30 minutes after exercise, rest for an hour, and then continue running for another 30 minutes.

Six hours after the exercise, the researchers measured the concentration of the fatigue biomarker cytokine "TGF-β" in the blood of the mice. They found that compared to the mice that drank water, the mice that drank tomato juice before and during exercise showed a 50% to 60% reduction in this indicator, while there was almost no change in the mice that drank tomato juice after exercise.

Tomato and Pear Juice