Anthocyanin- and Lycopene-Rich Purple Tomatoes

During the height of the Football World Cup, I succumbed to the fad and bought fan items, including tomatoes. Those tomatoes on the left are supposed to represent the colors of the host country’s –Gemany’s– flag: black, red and gold. The black, though, didn’t really look black… more like deep purple.

Now I am not sure how these tomatoes came out to be looking so, but it comes to me as a surprise that over in Oregon, scientists are still on a race to introduce the purple tomato into the market. No, not just as a novelty item, but as a functional food.

Jones discovered that the purple tomato, unlike its red cousins, contained high levels of anthocyanins, a chemical found in dark fruit pigments such as blueberries and grapes that can act as an antioxidant.

The purple tomato also has red skin at the base, so it still contains lycopene, also an antioxidant.

As a result, the new hybrid potentially offers the best of both worlds.

What are anthocyanins good for? As mentioned above, this pigment compound act as antioxidants, and may help prevent cardiovascular diseases. According to Prof. Ronald E. Wrolstad, from the Oregon State University, the anthocyanin pigments of Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) have long been used for improving visual acuity and treating circulatory disorders.

Like anthocyanin, lycopene is a carotenoid that also act as an antioxidant. Various studies suggest that lycopene can help fight cancer, and possibly other degenerative diseases. To learn more about this powerful carotenoid, the Lycopene web site is a great resource. For offline reading, Unlock the Power of Lycopene: Redefining Your Diet with Lycopene and Tomatoes tells the story of how tomatoes and processed tomato products may play a major role in fighting disease, in addition to adding zest and color to our diet.