Scientists Had People Eat Tomato Paste For 3 Months. Their Brain Scans Looked Different.

Unexpectedly, a routine kitchen ingredient—tomato paste—has been linked to measurable brain changes in a recent nutrition study. Researchers asked volunteers to incorporate the paste into their daily meals for three months, then compared MRI scans before and after the regimen. The findings challenged assumptions that only exotic or fortified foods affect neurobiology.

Public interest surged as media picked up the story, noting the everyday nature of the food. India Today detailed the trial, which involved 42 adults who consumed a fixed portion of tomato paste each day for exactly 90 days. Researchers measured baseline scans before the trial to establish a control reference.

ScienceAlert and GIGAZINE highlighted the study’s suggestion that a simple dietary tweak could alter brain structure, while VICE framed the result as a potential ‘brain‑hacking’ angle. SILive.com noted the local cultural tie to tomato products. The research remains preliminary; future replication studies and longer‑term health assessments are cited as the next steps.