Even when summer is over, the season peak flavor and nutrition in tomatoes is available all year long in cans or jars. Lycopene, the antioxidant compound that makes tomatoes red, is even more available in tomatoes that have been turned in to tomato products and has been shown to be protective for diseases from cardiovasular to cancers. What if it is more than just the lycopene in the tomatoes that make a difference. That is the question being pursued at the The Ohio State University by Dr. Jessica Coooperstone’s Lab where positive protections have been found from tomatoes with or without lycopene. Just when it seems that the tomato story can’t get any better, we learn about the role “Alpha Tomatine” and the potential of making a great product better. Jessica Cooperstone is Associate Professor in the department of Horticulture and Crop Science and the department of Food Science & Technology . www. CooperstoneLab.com
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