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In a new pilot study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, researchers aimed to investigate the antioxidant benefits of lycopene, but specifically, how they stacked up against tomato powder, a tomato supplement closer to its whole food origin which contains not only lycopene but a broader profile of micronutrients and various bioactive components.

Led by Shuba Singhal, PhD, this randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedics of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital/Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. For the study, 193 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee were randomized to receive either turmeric extract (BCM-95) as a 500 mg capsule two times daily, or a 650 mg tablet of paracetamol three times daily for six weeks.

In the athletes, tomato powder enhanced total antioxidant capacity by 12%. Interestingly, the tomato powder treatment also resulted in a significantly reduced elevation of 8-isoprostane compared to both the lycopene supplement and the placebo. The tomato powder also significantly reduced exhaustive exercise MDA compared to the placebo, however, no such difference was indicated between the lycopene and placebo treatments.

“The goal of the current study was to build on the earlier studies to give a better clarity and specificity by including more markers and a better scoring methodology,” said Benny Antony, joint managing director for Arjuna. “The anti-arthritic effect of BCM-95 in osteoarthritis is attributed to its capability to modulate anti-inflammatory markers TNF and CRP.”