Purple tomato? Fruit with health benefits begins to be marketed in the US

When we think of tomato, the color red comes to our mind, doesn't it? Well, maybe that will change in the future, if it depends on a new product that is coming to the US market that has purple brains – and that is capable of helping the health of people with cancer.

what is purple tomato

The purple tomato has 10 times more antioxidants than the normal food, and was developed from genetic manipulations carried out by researchers from the Norfolk Plant Sciences. 

The genetically altered fruit also has genes from the dragon's skull flower, to increase the concentration of anthocyanins, plant pigments that have health benefits such as antidiabetic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects - and which is responsible for the purple color of the fruit. .

The purple tomato was tested by the researchers with mice that had cancer, and the results were positive, helping the test subjects to live 30% longer than the health condition expected.

The product had been in development since 2008, and 13 months ago it was undergoing approval with the US Department of Agriculture, getting the approval for its commercialization in the beginning of September – becoming the first genetically modified product and cultivated in American soil to receive this type of certification.

The approval was given by the US agency having observed that the plant responsible for the development of the fruit does not present a greater risk of pests in plantations, and can be grown together with other products in the country in a safe way and without presenting risks to farmers.

Study with cancer mice is from 2008

The study responsible for showing that, with the consumption of purple tomato, mice with cancer managed to live 30% longer than the life expectancy with the condition, is from 2008 - with since then several food marketing regulators evaluating the product. , with the most recent of these being the US Department of Agriculture, as noted above.

But now, with the approval, the distribution plan for Norfolk Plant Science is to sell the seeds to farmers, who will then send the fruits to the market and, with the consumption feedback, be able to start thinking about the next experiments.

For now, however, sales will only be in the US, with no plans or perspectives for the rest of the world – but, as the product becomes something talked about on the internet, who knows, in the future, we won't see it at fairs here in Brazil, right? ?

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Source: Wired, Dailymail