September 11, 2026, 12:14 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Tomato paste is a staple in many kitchens. A recent study from Spain now suggests that regular consumption not only increases lycopene levels in the blood but could also be linked to changes in brain function. After three months of daily tomato paste consumption, healthy middle-aged adults performed better in certain attention tests and associative memory tasks. Brain scans also showed differences. However, the results should be interpreted with caution.
What Was Studied and Why?
Tomatoes contain the red plant pigment lycopene, an antioxidant that can protect cells from oxidative stress. Previous research had already provided indications that carotenoid-rich foods might have positive effects on mental performance.
Researchers at the University of Barcelona wanted to investigate whether increased tomato consumption has measurable effects on cognitive performance and the brain’s functional connectivity. They were particularly interested in whether changes in lycopene levels are associated with changes in brain function.1
Study Design and Methods
The randomized crossover study involved 47 healthy adults aged 40 to 55, of whom 42 completed the two-phase investigation. Before starting, all participants had to avoid lycopene-rich foods such as tomatoes, watermelons, or papayas for a week.
They then went through two dietary phases of three months each: In one phase, they consumed a daily amount of tomato paste adjusted to their body weight (0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, averaging about 35 grams), and in the other, they followed a low-lycopene diet. A one-month washout phase separated the two phases.
After each phase, blood values were determined, and various cognitive tests were conducted. Additionally, 14 participants received functional brain scans to examine changes in brain activity.
What Are the Study’s Results?
Under the tomato paste diet, lycopene concentrations in the blood increased significantly (almost doubling on average). Researchers also observed a borderline increase in the nerve growth factor BDNF (by 15.2 ng/mL), which is associated with the health and adaptability of nerve cells.
In cognitive tests, participants performed better in selective attention (concentration and processing speed) after the tomato paste phase. Associative memory (matching names to faces) also improved measurably. However, the dietary phase had no impact on executive functions such as cognitive flexibility.
Brain scans showed changes in several large-scale brain networks. With a lycopene-rich diet, researchers observed reduced functional connectivity in the frontoparietal and auditory networks. In contrast, the low-lycopene diet phase showed reduced connectivity in the dorsal attention network.
The authors interpret this as a possible indication that tomato consumption could be associated with a functional reorganization of certain brain networks.
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Interpretation of the Results
The study provides interesting indications of a connection between tomato consumption and brain function. However, it is a relatively small study. Particularly, the brain scan results are based on only 14 participants.
Additionally, the study was conducted unblinded for the participants–although the evaluation of blood samples and brain scans was blinded. Participants knew which dietary phase they were in, so it cannot be completely ruled out that motivation or expectations influenced the test results. Another limitation concerns the sample composition: Over 90 percent of the participants had an academic degree, which limits generalizability to the overall population. Moreover, an observed carry-over effect in the BDNF value suggests that the one-month washout phase may have been too short.
For Prof. Dr. Christoph Kleinschnitz, director of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Essen, the results are interpreted as follows: “Lycopene is a strong antioxidant. It can protect cells from oxidative stress and possibly also influence inflammatory processes–both of which play an important role in the function and aging of our brain. This could explain why attention and processing speed improved in the study. However, with only 42 participants, it cannot be said with certainty whether tomato paste actually makes one ‘smarter.’”
The authors themselves also emphasize that larger studies are necessary to confirm the results. Whether the observed changes persist long-term or have clinically relevant effects cannot be determined from the current data.
Also interesting: Why men should regularly eat tomato paste
Conclusion
Three months of daily tomato paste consumption in this study was associated with higher lycopene levels, better selective attention, and measurable improvements in associative memory. Researchers also found indications of changes in functional brain connectivity. However, executive functions remained unchanged. Due to the small number of participants and methodological limitations such as the unblinded intervention for participants and a highly educated sample, the results should be considered preliminary. Further studies are needed to determine if the findings can be confirmed.