Passion for Purple

Passion for Purple

The race to develop a purple tomato is underway. And for tomato breeders, the stakes are high. But why in the world would you want a purple tomato?

Taming the wild

I don’t know about other areas of the country, but I predict that purple tomatoes will sell like hotcakes here in Baltimore. After all, this is a Ravens’ Purple town. Personally, I look forward to serving purple salsa to my game day guests. But we may have to wait several football seasons for that day to arrive.

According to a NutraIngredients article, two or more research groups are currently racing to be the first to perfect a marketable purple tomato. And although a plum-colored tomato will be a unique curiosity, that’s not the point. It’s not about the purple; it’s about the anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid, which are plant compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color. They’re also antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. In fact, Anthocyanins are the Big Kahuna of antioxidants. A 1992 study showed that anthocyanins had the most powerful antioxidizing effect of 150 different flavonoids tested.

There’s already a variety of wild purple tomato that’s loaded with anthocyanins, but, unfortunately, it’s also loaded with poison. Breeders have previously attempted to crossbreed the wild purple with the domesticated red, but failed to produce a good-looking, edible, flavorful tomato that could be grown in mass quantities.

More recently, two research teams on opposite ends of the country – Oregon and Florida – have been pressing to become the first to produce a marketable anthocyanin tomato that will be a delicious, antioxidant powerhouse. But neither group is on the brink of delivering the perfect purple tomato any time soon.

Go to the garden

Until one of those teams has a breakthrough, you can still get plenty of nutritious carotenoids and lycopene from tomatoes. And then, for foods rich in anthocyanins, just include these items on your shopping list: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, black cranberries, eggplant, plums, elderberries, and cherries.

An excellent article about anthocyanins appeared in Nutrition Science News a few years ago. Marilyn Sterling, R.D., outlined a few of the health benefits of anthocyanin intake:

• A vision study showed that subjects adapted better to light and dark, and eyesight improved significantly for about 24 hours after taking supplements of bilberry anthocyanins
• Animal studies show that anthocyanin supplements prevent inflammation damage to blood vessels, while also impeding oxidation of LDL cholesterol
• A diabetes study revealed that 120 mg of anthocyanin supplements may help prevent retinopathy (which can cause blindness)
• An Austrian study showed that elderberry extract reduced stress-related blood glucose levels
• Italian researchers showed that bilberry anthocyanin supplements increased gastric juice secretion and stomach mucus (which helps prevent ulcers), without affecting stomach acid levels

Talk to your doctor or a health care professional before adding anthocyanin supplements to your daily regimen.

Sources:

“Researchers Race to Perfect First Totally Purple Tomato” Stephen Daniells, NutraIngredients-USA, 1026/06, nutraingredients-usa.com
“Got Anthocyanins?” Marilyn Sterling, R.D., Nutrition Science News, December 2001, newhope.com
“Counting Camels” Jon Barron, Baseline of Health, 10/9/06, jonbarron.org/baseline_newsletters.php