Spanish study links tomato paste consumption to improved cognitive function

A clinical study conducted in Spain suggests that daily consumption of tomato paste may be linked to improved cognitive functions in middle-aged adults. Led by nutrition expert Ricardo Lopez-Solis from the University of Barcelona, the research involved 42 healthy participants who consumed 35 grams of tomato paste daily for three months.

Results published in the journal ‘Antioxidants’ indicated improvements in selective attention and slight enhancements in associative memory compared to periods with low lycopene intake. Researchers also observed increased blood lycopene levels and a slight rise in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein associated with neuron growth.

Brain scans of a smaller subgroup of 14 participants revealed changes in functional connectivity within large-scale brain networks, specifically in the frontoparietal and auditory networks. While these findings suggest potential functional reorganization that could improve neural efficiency, researchers cautioned that the study was not blinded and the sample size for imaging was small. They emphasized that further large-scale, long-term trials are necessary to confirm whether these changes lead to sustained health benefits or if lycopene is the sole driver of these effects.