COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 23 (Nationwide Times) — A small Ohio State study suggests a specially made tomato-soy drink may lower certain inflammation markers in adults with obesity. The finding is interesting, but the study was short and involved only 12 people, so it does not support broad diet advice or show long-term health benefits.
What the study looked at
The study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research and indexed on PubMed, tested a beverage made from tomatoes bred to contain high levels of lycopene and fortified with soy isoflavones. The researchers gave 12 adults with obesity either the tomato-soy drink or a low-carotenoid tomato juice control in a crossover design. Participants drank two 6-ounce servings a day for four weeks, then had a washout period before switching interventions.
What changed
After the tomato-soy drink, the study reported significant decreases in three proteins tied to chronic inflammation: IL-5, IL-12p70, and GM-CSF. TNF-alpha also moved downward, but the study did not describe that change as statistically significant. The study also found plasma lycopene rose 2.48-fold after the tomato-soy drink.
The researchers also reported changes in the urine metabolome after both interventions. That suggests some effects may come from the tomato base itself, not only from lycopene, according to the study abstract.
What this means for everyday decisions
The practical takeaway is narrow. The study does not show that ordinary tomato juice from a grocery store has the same effect, because the drink was specially formulated and included concentrated tomato compounds plus soy isoflavones. It also does not show that the drink improves symptoms, lowers disease risk, or produces any long-term health outcome.
Instead, the research adds to early evidence that tomato-based foods may influence inflammation-related biology. A separate 2013 randomized study indexed on PubMed and conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences found that tomato juice reduced some inflammatory markers in overweight or obese female students, including IL-8 and TNF-alpha in the intervention group, and IL-6 in obese subjects.
Why the result needs caution
This Ohio State study was very small, which limits what can be concluded. The published abstract shows biomarker changes, but not enough evidence to say the drink should be used as a treatment or that it will help most people in daily life. The study also does not show whether the changes lasted after the trial ended.
For readers, the main point is simple: a special tomato-soy beverage changed inflammation markers in a short study, but it is still early research, not a reason to treat tomato juice as a proven anti-inflammatory remedy.