Triclosan: Is this Hazardous Chemical in Your Toothpaste?

Is This Common Ingredient Throwing Off Your Hormones?

If you have ever used a product that claims to fight odor or kill germs, you have most likely been exposed to the chemical triclosan.

Triclosan is the active ingredient in a wide range of antimicrobial products. From soap and toothpaste to cutting boards, socks, and yoga mats—triclosan acts as an antiseptic that keeps you and your surfaces clean. The problem is that triclosan is absorbed through the skin, showing up later in both breast milk and urine.

antibacterial

An active ingredient in antimicrobial products called triclosan can absorb directly into your skin. Triclosan absorption can impact hormones, fertility, and breast cancer risk.

Some studies assert that triclosan found in toiletries and cosmetics may pose the highest risk of absorption. (1)(2)

This past December, the FDA announced that it is now formally reconsidering its stance on antibacterial soaps that contain triclosan. According to Colleen Rogers, Ph.D. and lead microbiologist at the FDA, there currently is no evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective than plain soap and water. (3)

She explains, "New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits."

THE RISKS OF TRICLOSAN

What does triclosan do in your body? It largely affects your reproductive and hormonal systems.

Research shows that triclosan:

Interferes With Hormones: Specifically—estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones. In animal studies, triclosan has been proven to reduce levels of thyroid hormones. (4)(5) Thyroid hormones keep your metabolic fires stoked, making them essential to a strong immune system and a healthy pregnancy.

Increases the Risk of Breast Cancer: The estrogenic nature of triclosan allows it to bind to hormone receptors that are meant for estrogen. And because triclosan can bind to estrogen receptors, research shows that it may stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependant breast cancer. (6)

Reduces Fertility: In men, triclosan may interfere with the production of sperm. It can also affect sperm health and testicular health. (7)

Triclosan contributes to the problem of antibiotic resistance, which is becoming more common (and deadly) with each passing year. (8)(9)

Because triclosan doesn’t just stay on the surface of your skin, its antiseptic qualities penetrate into the body. This means that the microbes living inside your body also come into contact with triclosan.

One study published by a team of researchers at Stanford University found that you are more likely to carry extra weight with repeated exposure to triclosan. (10) As the researchers explain, triclosan “has the potential to alter both gut microbiota and endocrine function and thereby affect body weight.”

Watch out for allergies too. Recent research published in partnership with the CDC found that high levels of triclosan in children were associated with respiratory allergies. (11)

7 WAYS TO AVOID TRICLOSAN

The new regulations on triclosan only affect soaps and body wash, requiring that manufacturers first demonstrate the safety of the chemical before including it in their product.

But what can you do about all the other products in your home that may contain triclosan?

Product labels: While reading labels will help you to avoid triclosan, some products that contain triclosan are not clearly labeled. Other names for triclosan include Microban, Irgasan, Biofresh, Lexol-300, Ster-Zac, and Cloxifenolum.\

Bar, liquid, and foaming soaps: Choose to wash with handmade soaps or castile soap. Only buy soaps from manufacturers that list ingredients you can understand.

Underarm deodorants: Homemade deodorants—using coconut oil, baking soda, and essential oils—may work for you. Also, consider giving magnesium oil a try. Magnesium oil under the arms will control odor.

Toothpaste and mouthwash: A simple rinse with baking soda and essential oils is a natural and gentle antiseptic.

Laundry detergents and fabric softeners: Luckily, there are now several natural products on the market that safely clean your clothes. If you are adventurous, you can try soap nuts, which are 100% natural and reusable. For the dryer, wool dryer balls will leave clothes fluffy and static-free.

Baby toys: Believe it or not, some baby toys contain triclosan. (12)(13) The worst offenders are plastic toys. If you have the option, choose toys made from natural materials, like wood.

In the kitchen: While “antimicrobial” plastic surfaces may sound clean and enticing, antimicrobial kitchenware often contains triclosan. Instead, opt for natural utensils and natural surfaces—such as wooden spoons and cutting boards, glass or enamelware, and stainless steel storage containers. And when you need to clean a surface? A little castile soap or apple cider vinegar in water will do the trick. If you're worried about bacteria, add a few drops of lemon or rosemary essential oil for good measure.

What To Remember Most About This Article:

Triclosan is the active ingredient found in numerous antimicrobial products, including soaps, toothpastes, and cutting boards. Unfortunately, triclosan is absorbed into the skin. Antimicrobial soaps containing triclosan have not been proven any more effective at cleaning than soap and water.

Triclosan is a risky ingredient that has a great effect on the body to:

Interfere with hormones.

Increase the risk of breast cancer.

Reduce male fertility.

What's more, triclosan can also contribute to antibiotic resistance—a potentially deadly epidemic sweeping the nation. Research shows that triclosan affects the healthy microbes in your body and can cause weight gain, as well as respiratory allergies in children.

You can rid your home of this harmful ingredient by reading product labels carefully and choosing safer alternatives to soap, deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, baby toys, and antimicrobial kitchen surfaces.

REFERENCES:

Allmyr, M., Adolfsson-Erici, M., McLachlan, M. S., & Sandborgh-Englund, G. (2006). Triclosan in plasma and milk from Swedish nursing mothers and their exposure via personal care products. Science of the Total environment, 372(1), 87-93.

Calafat, A. M., Ye, X., Wong, L. Y., Reidy, J. A., & Needham, L. L. (2008). Urinary concentrations of triclosan in the US population: 2003–2004. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(3), 303.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378393.htm

Zorrilla, L. M., Gibson, E. K., Jeffay, S. C., Crofton, K. M., Setzer, W. R., Cooper, R. L., & Stoker, T. E. (2009). The effects of triclosan on puberty and thyroid hormones in male Wistar rats. Toxicological Sciences, 107(1), 56-64.

Crofton, K. M., Paul, K. B., DeVito, M. J., & Hedge, J. M. (2007). Short-term in vivo exposure to the water contaminant triclosan: Evidence for disruption of thyroxine. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 24(2), 194-197.

Lee, H., Park, M., Yi, B., & Choi, K. (2012). Octylphenol and triclosan induced proliferation of human breast cancer cells via an estrogen receptor-mediated signaling in vitro.

Lan, Z., Hyung Kim, T., Shun Bi, K., Hui Chen, X., & Sik Kim, H. (2013). Triclosan exhibits a tendency to accumulate in the epididymis and shows sperm toxicity in male sprague‐dawley rats. Environmental toxicology.

Middleton, J. H., & Salierno, J. D. (2012). Antibiotic resistance in triclosan tolerant fecal coliforms isolated from surface waters near wastewater treatment plant outflows (Morris County, NJ, USA). Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

Bush, K., Courvalin, P., Dantas, G., Davies, J., Eisenstein, B., Huovinen, P., ... & Zgurskaya, H. I. (2011). Tackling antibiotic resistance. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 9(12), 894-896.

Lankester, J., Patel, C., Cullen, M. R., Ley, C., & Parsonnet, J. (2013). Urinary Triclosan is Associated with Elevated Body Mass Index in NHANES. PloS one, 8(11), e80057.

Bertelsen, R. J., Longnecker, M. P., Løvik, M., Calafat, A. M., Carlsen, K. H., London, S. J., & Lødrup Carlsen, K. C. (2013). Triclosan exposure and allergic sensitization in Norwegian children. Allergy, 68(1), 84-91.

Glaser, A. (2004). The ubiquitous triclosan. A common antibacterial agent exposed. Pesticides and You, 24, 12-17.

Bedoux, G., Roig, B., Thomas, O., Dupont, V., & Le Bot, B. (2012). Occurrence and toxicity of antimicrobial triclosan and by-products in the environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 19(4), 1044-1065.

Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of breast cancer

Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal obese women, according to researchers.

The protection likely comes from the fatty acids' anti-inflammatory effects, said Dr. Andrea Manni, professor and division chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, Penn State College of Medicine.

Obesity is a major breast cancer risk factor in postmenopausal women, and scientists believe increased inflammation is an important underlying cause in this population.

"Omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, so that's one of the reasons why we suspected it may be particularly effective in obese women," Manni said.

Some epidemiological data supports the idea that omega-3s protect against breast cancer, but the findings have been inconsistent. Manni suspected that data from normal-weight women obscured the results.

Normal-weight women have less inflammation than heavier women, and are therefore less likely to benefit from anti-inflammatory omega-3s, he said.

To tease apart the effects, Manni's team, working alongside researchers from Emory University and Colorado State University, looked at the influence of prescription omega-3 supplementation on breast density in different weight women. Breast density is a well-established biomarker for breast cancer risk, and may be an independent risk factor, as well.

"The higher the breast density, the more likely the woman will develop breast cancer," Manni said.

The study included 266 healthy postmenopausal women with high breast density detected by routine mammograms. The women either received no treatment, the antiestrogen drug Raloxifene, the prescription omega-3 drug Lovaza or a combination of the two drugs.

At the conclusion of the two-year study, the researchers found that increasing levels of omega-3 in the blood were associated with reduced breast density -- but only in women with a body mass index above 29, bordering on obesity.

Although Lovaza contains both of the fatty acids DHA -- 375 milligrams -- and EPA -- 465 milligrams, only DHA blood levels were associated with breast density reduction. The researchers plan to test the effect of DHA alone in obese subjects, potentially in combination with weight loss, in a future trial.

"The finding supports the idea that omega-3s, and specifically DHA, are preferentially protective in obese postmenopausal women," Manni said. "This represents an example of a personalized approach to breast cancer prevention."

These findings may help to support future research looking at the direct effect of omega-3 supplementation on breast cancer incidence in obese women.

Manni added that, with obesity-related cancers on the rise, the findings could have implications beyond breast cancer.

The researchers also made a secondary discovery. Lovaza is an omega-3 drug FDA-approved for the treatment of severe high triglycerides at the dose of 4 milligrams daily. In the current study, the combination of Lovaza and a half recommended dose of Raloxifene at 30 milligrams, was superior to the individual treatments in reducing triglycerides and LDL -- "bad" -- cholesterol and increasing HDL -- "good" -- cholesterol.

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Story Source:

http://news.psu.edu/story/394565/2016/02/24/research/omega-3-fatty-acids-may-lower-breast-cancer-risk-postmenopausal

Join a club you could live longer

Membership of social groups, such as book clubs or church groups, after retirement is linked to a longer life, with the impact on health and wellbeing similar to that of regular exercise, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

The more groups an individual belongs to in the first few years after s/he stops working, the lower their risk of death, the findings show.

Retirement represents a major life change, with the evidence from large long-term studies suggesting that the health and wellbeing of a substantial number of retirees goes downhill after they stop formal work.

But some people adjust to this transition better than others. In a bid to assess the potential impact of social group memberships, the researchers tracked the health of 424 people for six years after they had retired.

They were compared with the same number of people, matched for age, sex, and health status, but who were still working.

All the participants were at least 50 years old, living in England, and taking part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which started in 2002-3.

Each participant was asked how many different organisations, clubs, or societies, s/he belonged to, and which ones. They were also asked to complete a validated scale to assess quality of life, and another, to assess subjective physical health.

The results showed that individuals whose quality of life was good before retirement were more likely to score highly on quality of life assessment after retirement.

But membership of social groups was also associated with quality of life. Compared with those still working, every group membership lost after retirement was associated with around a 10% drop in quality of life score six years later.

Some 28 (6.65%) of the retirees died in the first six years after stopping work. Unsurprisingly, the strongest predictor of death was age, with someone at the age of 55 running a 1% risk of dying compared with an 8% chance for someone aged 65.

Subjectively rated health was not a significant predictor of death, but the number of group memberships was.

If a person belonged to two groups before retirement, and kept these up over the following six years, their risk of death was 2%, rising to 5% if they gave up membership of one, and to 12% if they gave up membership of both.

No such patterns were seen for those still in formal employment.

The researchers separately assessed whether changes in physical activity levels affected risk of death and compared this with the magnitude of the effect of social group membership.

They found that if a person exercised vigorously once a week before retirement, and kept up this frequency afterwards, their chance of dying over the next six years was 3%, rising to 6% if they reduced the frequency to less than once a week, and to 11% if they stopped altogether.

Among those who were still working, the equivalent figures were 3%, 5%, and 8%.

"Accordingly, we can see that the effects of physical activity on health were comparable to those associated with maintaining old group memberships and developing new ones," write the researchers.

This is an observational study so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, but the findings have unique practical implications for retirement planning, say the researchers.

"They suggest that as much as practitioners may help retirees adjust by providing support with financial planning, they may also help by providing social planning," they write.

"In this regard, practical interventions should focus on helping retirees to maintain their sense of purpose and belonging by assisting them to connect to groups and communities that are meaningful to them," they conclude.

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Story Source: BMJ. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Niklas K Steffens, Tegan Cruwys, Catherine Haslam, Jolanda Jetten, S Alexander Haslam. Social group memberships in retirement are associated with reduced risk of premature death: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study. BMJ Open, February 2016 DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010164

Fewer heart problems in people who drink

Fewer heart problems in people who drink moderately but often

People who drink wine, liquor or beer regularly are less prone to heart failure and heart attacks than those who rarely or never drink. Three to five drinks a week can be good for your heart.

By Anne Sliper Midling

Published 18.02.16

“It’s primarily the alcohol that leads to more good cholesterol, among other things. But alcohol can also cause higher blood pressure. So it’s best to drink moderate amounts relatively often,” he says.

Cheers! More good cholesterol thanks to the alcohol in your drink = good for the heart. Photo: Thinkstock

Decreased risk with each additional serving

Along with a number of colleagues from NTNU and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Janszky has published two studies regarding the relationship between alcohol and heart health. One, published in the Journal of Cardiology, is about heart failure. The second is on acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and has been published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

In both cases, research shows that people who regularly drink alcohol have better cardiovascular health than those who consume little or no alcohol. Unikard, a Norwegian organization that focuses on cardiovascular research, is also discussing these findings.

The studies showed that those who drank three to five drinks per week were 33 per cent less prone to heart failure than those who abstained or drank infrequently. In the case of heart attacks, the risk appears to be reduced by 28 percent with each additional one-drink increment.

This does not surprise the researchers at all.

A majority of researchers worldwide seem to think three to five drinks a week can be good for your heart.

Different drinking patterns

“The relationship between alcohol and heart health has been studied in many countries, including the USA and southern European nations. The conclusions have been the same, but the drinking patterns in these countries are very different than in Norway. In countries like France and Italy, very few people don’t drink,” says Janszky. “It raises the question as to whether earlier findings can be fully trusted, if other factors related to non-drinkers might have influenced research results. It may be that these are people who previously had alcohol problems, and who have stopped drinking completely,” he says.

• You might also like Physically active individuals cope better with heart attacks

For this reason, the researchers wanted to examine the theory with a Norwegian population where a significant population drinks rarely or not at all. In the myocardial infarction study, 41 per cent of participants reported that they did not drink at all or that they consumed less than half of one alcoholic beverage per week.

Both studies are based on the longitudinal HUNT 2 Nord-Trøndelag Health Study conducted between 1995 and 1997.

The greater the drinking frequency, the lower the risk

The study, which looked at the relationship between heart failure and alcohol, followed 60,665 participants until the end of 2008 with no incidence of heart failure. Of those, 1588 of them developed heart failure during the period of the study. The risk was highest for those who rarely or never drank alcohol, and for those who had an alcohol problem.

The more often participants consumed alcohol within normal amounts, the lower their risk of heart failure turned out to be. Those who drank five or more times a month had a 21 per cent lower risk compared to non-drinkers and those who drank little, while those who drank between one and five times a month had a two per cent lower risk.

• You might also like: Mirror, mirror, will I have a heart attack?

Drinking isn’t necessary for a healthy heart

“I’m not encouraging people to drink alcohol all the time. We’ve only been studying the heart, and it’s important to emphasize that a little alcohol every day can be healthy for the heart. But that doesn’t mean it’s necessary to drink alcohol every day to have a healthy heart,” says Janszky.

In the heart attack study, 58,827 participants were categorized by how much and how often they drank. 2966 of the participants experienced an acute myocardial infarction between 1995 and the end of 2008. The adjusted analyses showed that each additional one-drink increment decreased the risk of AMI by 28 percent.

Alcohol may increase other problems

The researchers stressed that few participants in the study drank particularly much, so they cannot conclude that high alcohol intake protects against heart attack or heart failure. They also encourage looking at the findings in a larger context, since the risk of a number of other diseases and social problems can increase as a result of higher alcohol consumption.

For example, the researchers observed that the risk of dying from various types of cardiovascular disease increased with about five drinks a week and up, while those who drank more moderate amounts had the lowest risk. High alcohol consumption was also strongly associated with an increased risk of death from liver disease.

References:

Katalin Gémes, Imre Janszky, Staffan Ahnve, Krisztina D. László, Lars E. Laugsand,Lars J. Vatten, Kenneth J. Mukamale. Light-to-moderate drinking and incident heart failure — the Norwegian HUNT study. International Journal of Cardiology. Vol. 203, 15 January 2016, Pages 553–560.doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.10.179

K. Gémes, I. Janszky, L. E. Laugsand, K. D. László, S. Ahnve, L. J. Vatten and K. J. Mukama.Alcohol consumption is associated with a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction: results from a large prospective population-based study in Norway Journal of Internal Medicine, early online edition. 14 September 2015. DOI: 10.1111/joim.12428

Drinking green tea may help you treat joint pain

FEBRUARY 20, 2016 

Green tea could contain a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, says a new study

A team of researchers have discovered that a compound in green tea could have the potential to treat joint pain, inflammation and tissue damage in sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis.

The debilitating illness is an autoimmune disorder which largely affects the joints in the hands and feet, causing painful swelling for sufferers which can go on to damage cartilage, erode bones, and leave the joints deformed. Existing drugs however are not only expensive, but can also suppress the immune system and are not always suitable for long-term use.

To look at a possible alternative the team of researchers from Washington State University in Spokane looked at a molecule found in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).

The molecule was given to rat models of human rheumatoid arthritis with ankle swelling. After being given EGCG for a 10-day period, the team observed that the swelling was significantly reduced.

Their study’s results showed that EGCG, already known for its anti-inflammatory properties, could have great potential as a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis thanks to its ability to block the signals of the protein TAK1, through which signals to cause inflammation and tissue damage are submitted.

The team’s lead researcher Salah-uddin Ahmed, who has been studying rheumatoid arthritis for the past 15 years, now believes that this new study, “has opened the field of research into using EGCG for targeting TAK1.”

The findings were published this week in the journal Arthritis And Rheumatology.

Recent studies on green tea have also shown that it has many other health benefits, such as in helping treat high cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), liver disease, diabetes, and various cancers, as well as helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, according to The University of Maryland Medical Center.

Researchers believe many of the health benefits of green tea come from its high level of polyphenols, a group of chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties. EGCG is the most studied of these polyphenols, and the most active. – AFP Relaxnews

Eating more fruit and vegetables when young reduces chance of breast cancer

Higher dietary fibre intake in young women may reduce breast cancer risk

HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

adulthood--especially lots of fruits and vegetables--may have significantly lower breast cancer risk than those who eat less dietary fiber when young, according to a new large-scale study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study will be published online February 1, 2016 in Pediatrics.

"Previous studies of fiber intake and breast cancer have almost all been non-significant, and none of them examined diet during adolescence or early adulthood, a period when breast cancer risk factors appear to be particularly important," said Maryam Farvid, visiting scientist at Harvard Chan School and lead author of the study. "This work on the role of nutrition in early life and breast cancer incidence suggests one of the very few potentially modifiable risk factors for premenopausal breast cancer."

The researchers looked at a group of 90,534 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study II, a large long-running investigation of factors that influence women's health. In 1991, the women--ages 27-44 at the time--filled out questionnaires about their food intake, and did so every four years after that. They also completed a questionnaire in 1998 about their diet during high school. The researchers analyzed the women's fiber intake while adjusting for a number of other factors, such as race, family history of breast cancer, body mass index, weight change over time, menstruation history, alcohol use, and other dietary factors.

Breast cancer risk was 12%-19% lower among women who ate more dietary fiber in early adulthood, depending on how much more they ate. High intake of fiber during adolescence was also associated with 16% lower risk of overall breast cancer and 24% lower risk of breast cancer before menopause. Among all the women, there was a strong inverse association between fiber intake and breast cancer incidence. For each additional 10 grams of fiber intake daily--for example, about one apple and two slices of whole wheat bread, or about half a cup each of cooked kidney beans and cooked cauliflower or squash--during early adulthood, breast cancer risk dropped by 13%. The greatest apparent benefit came from fruit and vegetable fiber.

The authors speculated that eating more fiber-rich foods may lessen breast cancer risk partly by helping to reduce high estrogen levels in the blood, which are strongly linked with breast cancer development.

"From many other studies we know that breast tissue is particularly influenced by carcinogens and anticarcinogens during childhood and adolescence," said Walter Willett, Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard Chan School and senior author of the study. "We now have evidence that what we feed our children during this period of life is also an important factor in future cancer risk."

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Other Harvard Chan School researchers involved in the study included Heather Eliassen, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, and Xiaomei Liao, research scientist in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01 CA050385 and UM1 CA176726 and a grant from The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Farvid was supported by the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

"Dietary Fiber Intake in Young Adults and Breast Cancer Risk," Maryam S. Farvid, A. Heather Eliassen, Eunyoung Cho, Xiaomei Liao, Wendy Y. Chen, and Walter C. Willett, online February 1, 2016, Pediatrics, 137(3):e20151226 doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-1226

Visit the Harvard Chan School website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health.

Tomato Juice Targets a Trim

Tomato Juice Targets a Trim Waist lower cholesterol and inflammation

By modulating a key marker of inflammation, a daily glass of tomato juice may reduce waist size, among healthy women.

Chronic inflammation of fat tissue is a common aspect of obesity.  Previous studies have suggested that  lycopene, found abundantly in tomatoes and tomato products, can beneficially affect the cellular pathway involved in the inflammatory process.  Pei-Min Chao, from China Medical University (Taiwan), and colleagues enrolled 30 women, ages 20-30 years, with a body mass index (BMI) at or over 20, to participate in a study in which subjects ate a normal diet and exercised as usual, but were given 280 mL of tomato juice (containing 32.5 mg of lycopene) daily for 2 months. Tomato juice consumption associated with a 22% decrease in monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) – a key marker of adipose tissue inflammation, as well as a 25% increase in adiponectin – a hormone that regulates insulin sensitivity.  Observing that daily tomato juice supplementation shifted the adipokine profile into anti-inflammatory, the study authors write that: 

“These results show that daily tomato juice supplementation reduces waist circumference, as well as serum cholesterol and inflammatory adipokine levels in young healthy women and that these effects are unrelated to body fat changes.”

Yu-Fen Li, Ya-Yuan Chang, Hui-Chi Hunag, Yi-Chen Wu, Mei-Due Yang, Pei-Min Chao.  “Tomato juice supplementation in young women reduces inflammatory adipokine levels independently of body fat reduction.”  Nutrition, December 12, 2014.