Can heating tomato juice burn fat? ! Japanese people are buying like crazy

Can tomato juice burn fat? ! Japanese people have been frantically buying tomato juice these days because Japanese scholars recently published the results of a study pointing out that consuming an appropriate amount of tomatoes or tomato juice can achieve the effect of "eliminating fatty acids." As soon as the news came out, a "tomato whirlwind" was immediately set off, and even the Japanese media reported extensively on the grand scene of consumers rushing to supermarkets to buy tomato juice.

A Japanese study found that drinking more tomato juice can help burn fat, triggering a buying spree among the public; the picture on the right shows tomato health products sold in Japan. (Photo taken from http://dailyfitnessmagz.com/)

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported today that on the 10th of this month, Kyoto University and a food manufacturer published a paper stating that after tomato juice is heated, it will produce "13-oxo-ODA"-like octadecadienoic acid unsaturated fatty acids that have the effect of reducing blood lipids and are suitable for human absorption. In an experiment on mice, the researchers used a feed containing 0.05% "13-oxo-ODA" to create a differentiated effect. After one month, they found that the mice that consumed this feed had about 30% less hepatic triglyceride and about 20% lower blood sugar levels. The paper was published in the American journal "PLoS ONE" on February 9.

Professor Teruo Kawada, who led the research team, said that if you drink 600cc of tomato juice (equivalent to 2-3 large tomatoes) every day, you can effectively reduce the accumulation of triglycerides in the liver and skeletal muscle, achieving the dual effects of preventing cardiovascular disease and burning fat. As early as 2004, scholars in the United States confirmed that lycopene in tomatoes is one of the essential antioxidants for the human body and can greatly reduce the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.

Although the research has not yet entered the stage of human trials and whether its effects can be successfully replicated in humans remains to be discussed, the news quickly fermented in Japanese society just five days after it was published. Large numbers of people flocked to supermarkets to buy tomatoes and tomato juice, and sales volume tripled. In some areas, there was even a shortage of supply. It is understood that tomato-related health products are very popular in Japan and are inexpensive. For example, a large can of 900cc tomato juice can be bought for only 200 yen (equivalent to NT$75).