Including tomatoes in your daily diet may be linked to a reduction in liver fat. This is the conclusion reached by Italian researchers in a small experiment as part of the POMOSANO project, the results of which were published in the journal Nutrients, reports the website infohub.kz.
The study involved 79 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one followed a regular diet without tomatoes, while the other consumed 200 grams of fresh raw tomatoes and 50 grams of tomato sauce daily for six weeks, totaling about 250 grams of tomato products per day.
After six weeks, liver fat decreased in both groups, but in those who ate tomatoes and tomato sauce daily, the reduction was approximately 1.9 times more pronounced.
The researchers suggested that the potential effect may be related to compounds in tomatoes, particularly lycopene, which gives them their red color. This carotenoid has antioxidant properties and has been previously studied in connection with metabolic health. However, in this study, blood levels of lycopene were not measured, so it cannot be confirmed that it was responsible for the effect on the liver.
Other parameters did not change significantly over the six weeks. The researchers found no significant differences between groups in body mass index, body composition, liver stiffness, signs of fibrosis, liver enzyme levels, lipid profile, insulin resistance, or markers of inflammation.
This is important because MASLD is not just fat accumulation in the liver. The disease can progress and lead to inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and other complications. A reduction in one parameter does not necessarily mean the disease is cured.
The study was small and lasted only six weeks. Its results cannot be automatically generalized to all people with this condition and need to be verified in longer-term studies.
For MASLD, lifestyle changes and management of risk factors remain the cornerstone of treatment, and diet should be tailored to an individual's health status.
Various behavioral risk factors influence the development of fatty liver disease. Earlier, Kursiv reported that consuming large amounts of alcohol even once a month can significantly increase the risk of the disease.