Photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer on Flickr.com
In the US, a process that took more than ten years to produce more nutritious purple tomatoes is now complete. Genetically engineered purple tomatoes that generate more antioxidants have been given the USDA’s approval. Compared to earlier cultivars, these tomatoes generate ten times more antioxidant compounds. According to a 2008 study in Nature Biotechnology, one tomato type, in particular, might produce more antioxidants through gene editing.
Many foods naturally contain anthocyanins, including blueberries and red cabbage. Purple-pigmented foods are thought to lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Some nutritionists believe that the anthocyanin levels in some naturally purple tomato varieties, which have lower quantities of anthocyanins, might be increased by making a few genetic changes. The purple tomato has two more genes thanks to the lion’s mouth plant. This gene gives the tomato a deep purple color by increasing the plant’s capacity to make anthocyanins.
According to a 2008 study, rats given anthocyanin-rich tomatoes survived 30% longer than those given a regular diet.