- A latest research noticed the consequences of tomato consumption on the intestine microbiome in pigs.
- After 10 piglets had been fed a food regimen of which 10% was freeze-dried tomato powder, their ratio of “good” to “dangerous” micro organism shifted towards a extra favorable profile.
- The tomato-fed pigs additionally acquired higher range of their intestine microbial neighborhood, believed to be a signifier of stronger intestine well being.
- The findings may doubtlessly result in dietary suggestions for long-term well being in people.
Wealthy within the antioxidant lycopene and different important vitamins, tomatoes are recognized for his or her well being advantages.
However lesser understood are the implications tomato consumption has for intestine well being.
In a brand new research, researchers examined the consequences of a tomato-heavy food regimen on the intestine microbiome utilizing an animal mannequin.
Researchers fed piglets a tomato-supplemented food regimen for 14 days and located that the steadiness of their intestine micro organism shifted towards a more healthy, extra favorable profile.
The outcomes had been not too long ago printed in Microbiology Spectrum.
Lead research writer Jessica Cooperstone, Ph.D., assistant professor within the Division of Meals Science and Expertise at Ohio State College in Columbus, advised Medical Information Immediately:
“Tomato consumption has been correlated to quite a lot of constructive well being outcomes, and they’re the second mostly consumed vegetable in the USA. About 22% of whole vegetable consumption comes from tomatoes, so we’re serious about higher understanding the well being results of this generally consumed meals.”
Researchers used 20 male piglets that had been born in the summertime of 2019 on the OSU Swine Facility in Dublin, OH. After they had been weaned from their sows, they had been fed a basal food regimen for 1 week.
Subsequent, researchers randomly assigned 10 piglets to a tomato food regimen consisting of freeze-dried tomato powder added to the basal food regimen. The remaining 10 piglets acquired the management food regimen, consisting of the basal food regimen modified to match the tomato food regimen’s sugar, fiber, and different macronutrient content material.
“We wished to ensure we may present a constant supply of tomatoes to the pigs all through the research,” Dr. Cooperstone stated.
“In Ohio, we will solely develop tomatoes within the discipline for harvest towards the tip of summer season, so freezer drying serves as a preservation step. We wished to include the tomato into the basal food regimen of the pigs, and that food regimen is powdered,” she added.
The tomatoes from which the powder was derived had been a hybrid grown on the North Central Agricultural Analysis Station of Ohio State College (OSU) in Fremont, OH.
Moreover, to keep away from any non-dietary unfold of micro organism, pigs had been housed solely with different members of their group on one aspect of a walkway. Pens allowed snout-to-snout contact between grouped companions.
On the finish of the experiment, there have been no body-weight variations between the 2 teams of piglets.
The researchers analyzed fecal samples from all of the pigs initially of the experiment, 7 days in, after which once more after 14 days.
Utilizing DNA
Sequencing detected a shift after 14 days within the ratio of Bacillota (“dangerous” micro organism) towards Bacteroidota (“good” micro organism).
Each varieties or lineages of micro organism, generally known as phyla, comprise numerous micro organism, a few of which can be useful or not.
Researchers additionally noticed a higher bacterial range within the samples of the tomato group, which can recommend a more healthy
Whereas range is seen as useful within the intestine microbiome, a lot stays
Dr. Ashkan Farhadi, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Heart in Fountain Valley, CA, not concerned within the research, questioned what may have resulted if the pigs had been fed common tomatoes versus tomato powder.
As well as, whether or not the amount and length of tomato consumption may have yielded completely different outcomes isn’t but recognized and should warrant additional research.
“There are quite a lot of questions that come out of an excellent research, and this can be a good research,” Dr. Farhadi advised MNT.
Dr. Farhadi famous that comparisons between any two species are onerous to make definitively.
“We each have intestine germs, [but] are they equivalent between us? There are not any equivalent germs between even two people or in a single particular person on two days. Intestine germs are so dynamic that even in case you are stressed for a interval of 1 hour, the germs are completely different,” he defined.
Though pigs are usually not people, there’s purpose to suspect that tomato consumption would possibly equally profit the human microbiome.
“We [are] gaining a extra detailed understanding of how particular meals affect human well being,” Dr. Cooperstone stated.
“Earlier research have discovered that the gastrointestinal tract of pigs is extra just like people than mice are to people, which is why we elected to do that research in pigs. Different
research have discovered that the 2 main phyla of micro organism within the intestine microbiome are the identical between pigs and people. We hope to maneuver our trials to people sooner or later.”– Jessica Cooperstone, Ph.D., lead writer of the research
Chatting with Ohio State Information concerning the research, Dr. Cooperstone stated that a greater understanding of the consequences of various meals on intestine well being “may result in extra evidence-based dietary suggestions for long-term well being.”
