Daily Tomato Paste Linked to Better Attention and Processing Speed in Small Study A small randomized crossover trial found that two tablespoons of tomato paste daily for three months improved concentration, processing speed and associative memory in healthy adults ages 40 to 55, though researchers call the findings preliminary. A small randomized crossover trial found that eating about two tablespoons of tomato paste every day for three months was linked to slightly better attention and processing speed in healthy adults. Forty-two healthy adults ages 40 to 55 completed the study. They spent three months on a tomato paste diet and three months on a low-lycopene diet, with a one-month washout period in between. Lycopene is the red antioxidant pigment found in tomatoes and other pink and red produce. During the low-lycopene phase, participants stuck to their usual eating habits and avoided foods such as tomatoes.During the tomato paste phase, participants consumed 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight each day, averaging about 35 grams daily. That amount is roughly a couple of daily tablespoons of the common pantry staple often used to make pasta sauce richer. After the tomato paste phase, participants scored an average of 7.2 points higher for concentration, 8.3 points higher for processing speed and 0.8 points higher on a test matching faces with names.Brain Scans Show Connectivity ChangesThe trial used a randomized crossover design, meaning participants served as their own comparisons before and after eating the tomato paste. Blood tests also showed a borderline increase in BDNF, a protein involved in brain-cell growth and adaptability, according to the research. Brain scans in a small subset of participants showed changes in resting connectivity. That is how different brain regions work when a person is not focused on a specific task.Researchers said the pattern could suggest more efficient brain communication, but the small sample means it does not prove a meaningful brain benefit. The study does not prove that tomato paste prevents cognitive decline or disease. Researchers said it offers an early look at how lycopene-rich tomato foods may affect the brain, and they called the findings preliminary. They also said larger studies are needed.Expert Compares Lycopene DietsThe research was discussed by Dr. John Showalter, a Pennsylvania-based internal medicine physician and chief operating officer of Linus Health. Showalter told Fox News Digital that while the trial was small, it fits into a larger body of research about the need for naturally lycopene-rich foods in the diet. He said the low-lycopene phase may be the study's most telling comparison.Rather than showing tomato paste acts as a standalone cognitive enhancer, he said, the results suggest that restricting lycopene-rich foods may leave the brain functioning less well. We know that people that have low lycopene levels have a higher mortality rate, they have more cardiovascular events, and there has been increasing literature that low lycopene is bad for your brain, he said. The findings add to ongoing interest in how diet affects cognitive function.A separate major study recently linked just one small serving of ultra-processed food a day to higher disease risk. Other recent food and lifestyle headlines have focused on protein-packed menu items, pickle-flavored snacks, nostalgic restaurant packaging and a beloved chain that has dwindled from 850 locations to 87. For this trial, the key comparison was between a lycopene-rich tomato paste diet and a diet low in lycopene. Participants did not simply add tomato paste to an otherwise unchanged diet.Cautious View on ResultsThat design may help explain why researchers and outside experts describe the results cautiously. The scores improved, but the study was small and short, and it did not test whether the changes lasted. Showalter said the results should not be read as proof that tomato paste alone sharpens the brain. Instead, he said, they point to the possible downside of eating too few lycopene-rich foods.The researchers said the findings are preliminary and called for larger studies to confirm whether lycopene-rich tomato foods offer meaningful brain benefits. Until then, the study offers an early look at a familiar kitchen ingredient and its possible connection to attention, processing speed and associative memory.