Tomato Eating Routine Help Prevent Depression

Tomato was found to reduce depression. A new study in Japan stated, by eating tomatoes only two days a week can reduce the risk of depression by half.

The researchers analyzed mental health and eating habits of 986 people, and they recorded as much as about 70 people regularly eat tomatoes participants were significantly less likely to suffer from depression.

The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that those who ate tomatoes two to six times a week are 46 percent less likely to experience depression than those who ate them less than once a week.

Furthermore, the researchers found that participants who consumed tomato products every day reduced their risk of depression by 52 percent.

What about fruits and vegetables?


Apparently the researchers say that fruits and vegetables do not have the same benefits as tomatoes. Vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, onions, squash and green vegetables seemed to have little or no effect at all on the participants' mental

The researchers noted that as many as 34.9 percent of participants had symptoms of either mild or severe depression, even 20.2 percent of participants had major depression at some point in their lives. According to the researchers, the age factor affecting a person suffering from depression. Parents are more likely to suffer from depression as a result of the effects of their mood declining health and loneliness.

Research leader dr. Kaijun Niu from Tianjin Medical University in China says the goal of the study was to see if the tomatoes, with the rich antioxidant substances and is believed to protect against some diseases, can also help improve a person's psychological condition.

Tomato is known as a source of lycopene, a type of antioxidant that makes the red color in tomatoes. Lycopene can lower the risk of prostate cancer and heart attacks. This study proves that lycopene may also protect the mental and physical health by reducing oxidative stress or damage to brain cells healthy.

However, researchers have not been able to know clearly how the lycopene to protect mental health. Is lycopene directly affect the brain so as to prevent the occurrence of depression, or to protect a person's mental state to prevent exposure of degenerative diseases such as cancer.

Source: kompas.com