376565 Fri Mar 02 07:52:34 -0800 2007 1 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2344862 A news release of possible interest: "The red color of tomatoes is due to lycopene, a member of the carotenoids family, which is thought to have a number of health benefits, such as reducing the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. A new study, however, suggests that a special variety of orange-colored tomatoes provide a different form of lycopene, cis-lycopene, which our bodies may more readily use. Researchers at the Ohio State University (OSU) found that eating spaghetti covered in sauce made from these orange tomatoes, called Tangerine tomatoes, caused a noticeable boost in cis-lycopene in participants' blood. “While red tomatoes contain far more lycopene than orange tomatoes, most of it is in a form that the body doesn't absorb well,” said Steven Schwartz, the study's lead author and a professor of food science and technology at OSU. Lycopene absorption from the tangerine tomatoes was 2.5 times higher than that absorbed from the beta carotene-rich tomatoes. While these special tomatoes were grown just for this study, the researchers have pre-commercial lines of both varieties available. The news release is available at http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/goodtom.htm. Fri Mar 02 07:52:34 -0800 2007 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 2345382 Interesting. I couldn't get that link to work. Are tangerine tomatoes the type of orange tomatoes you typically see in a grocery store? Also, make sure to have some fats with your veggies so you'll absorb more antioxidants like lycopene. All those years of low fat diets, eating steamed veggies didn't help with antioxidant absorption. http://www.news-medical.net/?id=3552 Fri Mar 02 09:47:29 -0800 2007 2344862 39874 chowser