Daily Tomatoes May Help Improve Fatty Liver Disease, Study Finds

Eating tomatoes daily may help improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a study suggests. Researchers from Italy's National Institute of Digestive Research found that daily intake of tomatoes and tomato sauce was effective in lowering the risk of this condition, which is unrelated to alcohol consumption.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is closely linked to obesity, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, it can worsen into liver inflammation, fibrosis, and potentially liver failure.

The study involved 79 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a body mass index below 30. For six weeks, one group consumed 200g of fresh tomatoes (about one large tomato) and 50g of tomato sauce daily, while the control group abstained from tomatoes.

After the trial, special scans revealed that while both groups showed a decrease in liver fat, the tomato-consuming group experienced a significantly larger reduction. Their liver fat levels dropped by approximately 11% compared to the control group's 6% decrease. However, tomato consumption did not lead to significant improvements in liver fibrosis, liver enzymes, cholesterol, blood sugar, or body composition. Researchers are still investigating the precise mechanism behind the liver fat reduction but hypothesize that the abundant anti-inflammatory compounds in tomatoes play a positive role.