Sensitivo

This headline was in our daily newspaper today. Here's a summary of the article:

A University of Toronto study of post menopausal women examining the link between nutrition and osteoporosis say as little as 30 mg of lycopene (the equivalent of two glasses of tomato juice) increases the presence of cell-protecting antioxidants and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

For the first month of four, all women (aged 50 - 60) were restricted from consuming anything containing lycopene (a phytochemical found in tomatoes, watermelons and papayas). By the end of this month, in every participant, lycopene and antioxidants had dropped, while oxidative stress associated with cell damage dramatically rose. There was an increased resorption of bone, making the participants more prone to the risk of osteoporosis.

For the next three months, twice a day, participants consumed either a 15 mg lycopene supplement, a glass of Heinz tomato juice naturally containing 15 mg lycopene, gourmet tomato juice containing 35 mg lycopene per glass, or a placebo. Afterwards, the researchers found increased antioxidant capacity, decreased oxidative stress and decreased bone resorption markers -- regardless of lycopene source. The clinically effective dose of lycopene appears to be somewhere between 30 and 70 mg daily.

So, if you're one of the many participants on this board trying to avoid/treat low bone density through natural methods, you may wish to consider adding tomato juice to your diet.