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Scientists found that a tomato-soy juice rich in plant-derived compounds altered inflammation-related signals in healthy adults with obesity.
A new study found that drinking tomato-soy juice rich in health-promoting plant compounds reduced levels of inflammatory proteins in healthy adults with obesity after four weeks.
The results suggest the beverage could serve as a functional food that helps reduce chronic inflammation, a key factor in many long-term diseases.
The juice was formulated with high concentrations of lycopene and soy isoflavones, plant compounds that previous research has linked to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Compared with a control tomato juice that did not contain these compounds, the tomato-soy juice significantly lowered blood levels of three markers associated with systemic inflammation.
“The idea is, can we use food-based interventions to modulate inflammation?” said lead author Jessica Cooperstone, associate professor of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University. “And can we test this in a rigorous way so that we can really see this is affecting inflammation, versus just saying something is anti-inflammatory?”
Tomato-Soy Juice Lowers Inflammation Markers
Building on these findings and related research, Cooperstone and her colleagues have secured funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for a pilot clinical trial examining whether the same tomato-soy juice can reduce inflammation in people with pancreatitis.
The findings were published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Lycopene is the carotenoid responsible for the red color of tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables. Soy isoflavones are flavonoids that can mimic some actions of the hormone estrogen. Both belong to a group of plant compounds known as phytochemicals.
Several years ago, Ohio State researchers developed the tomato-soy juice after studies linked diets rich in tomato products or soy to a lower risk of prostate cancer. The beverage was made using a high-lycopene tomato variety developed and grown at Ohio State and was fortified with soy isoflavone extract.
How Lycopene and Soy Compounds May Benefit Health
Subsequent research at the university found that increased consumption of the tomato-soy juice was associated with lower prostate-specific antigen levels in some men with prostate cancer. Other studies have suggested that tomatoes and soy, whether consumed separately or together, may influence inflammatory and metabolic pathways connected to obesity and other chronic diseases.
“There’s been enough compelling evidence that compounds from tomatoes and soy might be modulating inflammation that we decided to test this in people,” Cooperstone said.
The study included 12 healthy adults with obesity who drank two 6-ounce (177 mL) cans of tomato-soy juice daily for four weeks. Following a washout period, participants consumed a low-carotenoid control tomato juice for another four weeks.
“The hypothesis is that it’s the lycopene from the tomatoes and the isoflavones from the soy that’s inducing the effect, so we didn’t want to have a control that’s just water,” Cooperstone said.
Obesity Study Shows Significant Cytokine Reductions
Researchers collected blood samples before and after each four-week intervention to measure cytokines, inflammatory proteins produced by the immune system. Significant reductions were observed only after participants consumed the tomato-soy juice. Levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-12p70, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) declined, while tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) also trended downward, though not enough to reach statistical significance.
The team also examined urine samples collected before and after each trial period to identify changes in metabolites, molecules produced during the biochemical processes that generate energy and support other essential bodily functions.
Results showed that both the tomato-soy juice and the control tomato juice produced some overlapping changes in metabolite profiles, indicating that certain effects were linked to tomatoes regardless of lycopene content. However, shifts in soy isoflavone metabolites were particularly notable among participants who consumed the tomato-soy juice. Although additional research is needed, these findings further suggest that the dietary intervention influences biological processes in the body.
“This is probably a function of the fact that there’s more to our intervention agents than just these two compounds,” Cooperstone said. “Ultimately, we want to have a better understanding of how the foods that we eat are relating to our health. And when we really want to be sure, we need to test them in clinical trials. And that’s what we’re doing here.”
Pancreatitis Research and Future Applications
The researchers have also observed in animal studies that tomato-soy juice can lessen inflammation and reduce the severity of chronic pancreatitis. Those findings support the ongoing clinical trial investigating whether the intervention could benefit people living with the condition.
“Care for patients with pancreatitis is palliative, focused on controlling pain and GI symptoms. Our hypothesis is that the tomato-soy juice may serve as an intervention to decrease inflammation and hopefully increase patients’ quality of life,” Cooperstone said.
Reference: “Tomato-Soy Juice Reduces Inflammation and Modulates the Urinary Metabolome in Adults With Obesity” by Maria J. Sholola, Jenna Miller, Emma A. Bilbrey, Janet A. Novotny, David M. Francis, Thomas A. Mace and Jessica L. Cooperstone, 5 March 2026, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.70420
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, the Lisa and Dan Wampler Endowed Fellowship for Foods and Health Research, and the Foods for Health Initiative at Ohio State.
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