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A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has long been associated with better memory. Now, Spanish scientists have identified another potential link: ordinary tomatoes may influence brain function — and the key could be lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.

Researchers in Spain studied the effects of tomatoes on the cognitive function of healthy middle-aged adults. Participants who consumed 35 grams of tomato paste every day for three months — just over two tablespoons — showed improvements in selective attention and associative memory, the ability to remember a connection between two objects that are not directly related, such as a name and a face.

“To our knowledge, this is the first clinical study to link changes in the antioxidant lycopene levels with changes in functional brain connectivity,” the authors of the study, published in the journal Antioxidants, noted.

The study involved 42 healthy adults. They were divided into two groups: one added tomato paste to their diet, while the other followed a diet restricting foods rich in lycopene, including tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit and guava.

All participants underwent cognitive testing, while 14 also received brain scans. The scans revealed possible changes in the connections between major brain networks.

Among those who consumed tomato paste, levels of not only lycopene but also BDNF — brain-derived neurotrophic factor — increased. This protein helps neurons grow, form connections and maintain neuroplasticity and memory.

The scans also revealed changes in the activity of brain regions involved in attention and cognitive function. The researchers suggest that consuming tomatoes may contribute to functional changes in major brain networks, potentially improving the efficiency and adaptability of their activity.

The scientists also found a parallel association between lycopene intake, BDNF levels and changes in brain connectivity, which may indicate “functional reorganization of the brain following tomato consumption.”

The findings are consistent with an earlier study in which eight weeks of consuming a tomato-powder-based product rich in carotenoids was associated with improvements in information-processing speed, attention and working memory in older adults.

However, the researchers stress that it is not yet possible to say that lycopene itself is responsible for the effect. Tomatoes contain numerous vitamins and other antioxidants that may also have contributed to the results.

Lycopene has previously been associated with a lower risk of certain diseases, including prostate and lung cancer, as well as cardiovascular and liver diseases.

At the same time, the new study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship and does not prove that tomatoes directly improve brain function. Larger and longer-term studies will be needed to determine whether any potential cognitive benefits persist over time.

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