Drinking two glasses of tomato juice per day can help strengthen bones and protect against osteoporosis, according to a study published in the Osteoporosis International journal.
Lycopene, an antioxidant already credited with cutting the risk of prostrate cancer in men and protecting against heart disease, is believed to be the key ingredient according to researchers at the University of Toronto.
Researchers asked 60 post-menopausal women, aged 50 to 60, to cut out all tomato products from their diet for a month, which led to a significant increase in a chemical released into the bloodstream when bone is being broken down, N-telopeptide.
After four months there was a significant drop in these N-telopeptide levels for women in the study who were consuming a daily dose of standard tomato juice containing 15mg of lycopene.
Two glasses a day of standard supermarket tomato juice could be enough to help strengthen brittle bones, the study concluded.