sambucus elderberry extract benefits_sambucus elderberry extract benefits

“We found that 1-week supplementation with tomato powder positively augmented total antioxidant capacity and was more potent when compared to lycopene supplementation,” the authors of the study said. “These trends in 8-isoprostane and MDA support the notion that over a short period of time, tomato powder, not synthetic lycopene, has the potential to alleviate exercise-induced lipid peroxidation. MDA is a biomarker of oxidation of total lipid pools but 8-isoprostane belongs to F2-isoprostane class and is a reliable biomarker of radical-induced reaction which specifically reflects the oxidation of arachidonic acid.”

“We are learning more about the mechanisms behind curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effect which we believe is a result of its ability to inhibit pro-inflammatory signals, such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, curcumin has been demonstrated to suppress several pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators of their release, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1, IL-8, and nitric oxide synthase,”said Antony.

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.

Among the popular nutritional supplements used to optimize exercise recovery by athletes, lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, is widely used, with clinical research evidencing that pure lycopene supplements are a potent antioxidant which can reduce exercise-induced lipid peroxidation (a mechanism in which free radicals damage cells by “stealing” electrons from lipids in cell membranes).