Tangerine Tomatoes Ripe With Lycopene

DAVIS, Calif.Tangerine tomatoes may contain higher levels of lycopene than red tomatoes, according to research conducted at USDAs Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center. The finding suggest the tasty heirloom tomatos tetra-cis-lycopene is more efficiently absorbed by the body than is the trans-lycopene of red tomatoes.

For the study 21 healthy men and women volunteers alternated week-long "no-lycopene" stints with a week-long tangerine tomato treatment and a week-long red tomato treatment. Study participants were asked not to eat tomatoes or other foods rich in lycopene during the study, except for the special lunches of kidney bean chili provided to them at the nutrition center during the tomato treatment weeks. The 2-cup chili serving was made with red or tangerine tomato sauce and accompanied by French bread, butter and a salad of leafy greens with dressing.

Blood sample analyses revealed lycopene levels increased relative to levels measured just before each one-week chili regimen began. Total lycopene levels increased more following the tangerine tomato treatment week than following the red tomato treatment. Using a procedure known as a TBARS assay, the researchers determined oxidative damage decreased with both treatments, and decreases were greater following the tangerine-tomato regimen.