55% More Lycopene In Organic Ketchup

[micah]

USDA: 55% more lycopene in organic ketchup



A team of U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists stationed at the
Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California studied the
lycopene content of 13 commercially available brands of ketchup in
six major national brands, three organic brands, two store brands,
and two brands sold in fast food restaurants and/or vending
machines (Ishida and Chapman, 2004). They measured the micrograms
of trans-lycopene per gram of ketchup. Lycopene helps protect
against breast, pancreatic, prostate and intestinal cancer, especially
when eaten with fatty foods. Also evidence that it can reduce the risk
of heart attacks (New Scientist, 23.12.2000).

The average level in the organic brands was by far the highest at
174.2 micrograms per gram of ketchup. The major national brands
averaged 110.7 micrograms per gram, the store brands 112.3, and
the fast food/vending brands, 102.5. So the average level in the
organic brands was 57 percent higher than the national brands and
55 percent higher than the store brands.

The USDA scientists also measured total antioxidant capacity using
the TEAC assay (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity; for more
details on this and other methods to measure total antioxidant capacity
in foods, see The Organic Center's Antioxidant SSR). One of the
organic ketchups had the highest level of 350 TEAC units, about
double the level in the fast food/vending brands and about two-thirds
higher than the major national brands. The authors note that ketchup is
a major form of tomato consumption in the U.S. and offer an interesting
observation: Tomato ketchup is an excellent source of lycopene,
carotenoids, and antioxidant compounds. A good estimate of lycopene
content can be made by the dark red appearance of the product. The
organic brands had a much deeper red color than the other brands
examined.