Why should you eat more tomatoes?
Protect your health by incorporating healthy foods like tomatoes into your diet.
Many people have a habit of meeting friends and drinking alcohol on weekends. However, alcohol causes fatigue and damages the liver and cardiovascular system if abused.
Besides controlling alcohol intake, incorporating certain foods, particularly tomatoes, into the diet is considered an effective way to minimize the harmful effects of alcohol.
Tomatoes - A "shield" protecting the liver from alcohol.
The liver is the main organ that helps the body process and eliminate toxins from alcohol. However, when the amount of alcohol absorbed exceeds a certain limit, the liver is easily damaged, leading to hepatitis, fatty liver disease, or even cirrhosis.
Alcohol consumption places a heavy burden on many organizations. Photo: Minh Nhat
Numerous studies have shown that tomatoes contain large amounts of lycopene—a powerful antioxidant—which helps protect the liver and minimize damage caused by alcohol.
A study in a journalFood and FunctionJapanese scientists have indicated that lycopene in tomatoes can reduce levels of alcoholic hepatitis by up to 35%.
Experiments on mice showed that the group of mice supplemented with tomato extract after consuming alcohol had significantly lower liver damage indicators compared to the group that did not receive supplementation.
Additionally, tomatoes contain glutathione, a substance that helps the liver detoxify effectively.
According to study author Dr. Hiroyuki Sugiura, "Tomatoes not only help the liver reduce the burden of processing alcohol but also support faster liver function recovery after alcohol-related damage."
Usage advice:
- Drinking fresh tomato juice before and after consuming alcohol can reduce the burden on the liver.
- Eating raw tomatoes or dishes made with tomatoes also has a similar effect.
Detoxifying from acetaldehyde helps reduce hangovers.
Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance formed during the body's metabolism of alcohol, causing familiar symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue. This substance is even classified as a potential carcinogen if accumulated over the long term.
Tomatoes are a "good friend" to the liver and stomach. Photo: Getty
A study by Kyoto Medical University (Japan), published inJournal of Nutritional BiochemistryThis has been shown that lycopene in tomatoes has the ability to stimulate the enzyme ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase).
This enzyme is responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde into a less toxic form. As a result, people who regularly consume tomatoes have up to 40% lower levels of acetaldehyde in their blood compared to those who don't eat tomatoes.
In addition, tomatoes contain vitamin C and polyphenol compounds that help the body boost its immunity, thereby reducing the negative effects of alcohol on the nervous and immune systems.
Usage advice:
- After drinking alcohol, eat a bowl of tomato salad to help your body quickly eliminate acetaldehyde.
- If you feel nauseous, tomato juice mixed with a pinch of salt can effectively soothe your stomach.
Reduces stomach irritation caused by alcohol.
Alcoholic beverages are highly acidic, damaging the protective mucous membrane lining of the stomach, thereby causing inflammation, ulcers, or stomach irritation. This is why after drinking sessions, you often feel bloated, experience pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, or even feel nauseous.
A study published inJournal of Clinical GastroenterologyIt has been shown that tomatoes contain large amounts of soluble fiber and natural anti-inflammatory compounds such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and lycopene.
These substances not only help soothe irritated stomach lining but also promote the regeneration of damaged cells, reducing the risk of ulcer formation.
In addition, the natural acids in tomatoes (citric acid and malic acid) are balanced by natural alkalizing agents, which helps reduce excess stomach acid caused by alcohol.