Tomato juice can kill Salmonella typhi and other bacteria that can harm the health of the digestive and urinary tracts.
Salmonella Typhi is a deadly human pathogen that causes typhoid fever. People often become infected with salmonella when they eat contaminated foods of animal origin, such as meat or eggs, that are not cooked well.
It is noteworthy that human infection with Salmonella typhi, which is a form of Salmonella intestinal bacteria, can occur by ingesting salmonella found in animal waste that contaminates food or water, and perhaps by direct contact with infected animals through raising them, slaughtering them, cleaning them, or dealing with them.
Symptoms of infection usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure. The infection fades within four to seven days without the need for medical intervention. Some people can be infected without showing any symptoms. However, the disease can sometimes be more serious and lead to hospitalization.
People with pre-existing medical conditions, weakened immune systems, children under 12 months, and the elderly are particularly at risk of serious side effects, or even death.
In rare cases, salmonella infection can cause the organism to enter the bloodstream and cause more serious illness, such as arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valve) and arthritis.
“Our main goal in this study was to find out whether tomatoes and their juice can kill enteric pathogens, including Salmonella typhi,” said study lead researcher Jeong-Min Song, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University. If so, what qualities does it possess that make it effective?
In laboratory experiments, researchers from Cornell University verified whether tomato juice actually kills Salmonella typhi. Once this was confirmed, the team looked at the tomato genome to find the antimicrobial peptides involved. Antimicrobial peptides are very small proteins that weaken the bacterial membrane.
The researchers selected four potential antimicrobial peptides and tested their success against Salmonella typhi. This helped them find two antimicrobial peptides effective against Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi).
The research team conducted further tests on variants of Salmonella typhi that appear in places where the disease is spreading. They also conducted a computational study to learn more about how antibacterial peptides kill Salmonella typhi and other enteric pathogens. Finally, they looked into the effectiveness of tomato juice against other intestinal pathogens that can harm the health of the digestive and urinary tracts.
According to the results published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, the most important discovery is that tomato juice is effective in eliminating Salmonella typhi bacteria, its highly contagious variants, and other bacteria that can harm the health of the digestive system and urinary tract. In particular, two antimicrobial peptides can eliminate pathogens by weakening the bacterial membrane, a protective layer surrounding pathogens.
“Our research shows that tomatoes and tomato juice can get rid of intestinal bacteria such as salmonella,” Song said.
The researchers emphasized that they hope that when the general public, especially children and teenagers, learn about the results of the study, they will want to eat and drink more tomatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables, because they provide natural antibacterial benefits to consumers.
An expert explains how to quickly and safely adapt to a healthy diet
Dr. Tatyata Meshryakova, a health nutritionist, called for abandoning late meals, and explained how quickly and safely it is possible to switch to a correct diet.
She says in an interview with the newspaper "Izvestia": "First, a person must set realistic goals for himself. Regardless of the season and preliminary data, the recommended safe weight loss is 3-4 kg per month. This will not cause any harm to the health and functioning of the main life-supporting organs." : The immune system, endocrine glands, nervous system, etc. Instead of focusing on the scale indicator, even small changes in weight should be appreciated - because this is actually a positive dynamic that will lead the person to the desired result.”
Secondly, the diet, which should contain proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, must be adjusted throughout the day: 25-30 percent in the morning, 30-40 percent in the afternoon (lunch) and 30-35 percent in the evening and drink at least 30 Milliliters of pure water per 1 kg of weight per day.
Third: Do not eat more than 300-500 grams in each meal, and it should contain protein and fresh vegetables as much as possible.
Fourth: Harmful products, such as soft drinks, energy drinks, bottled juices, sauces, processed products, sweets and pastries, must be excluded.
It recommends avoiding long periods of fasting, eating the same foods for a long period of time, and being careful not to eat low-calorie foods, because they cause a deficiency of essential minerals for the body and reduce the amount of energy the body needs, which may later lead to disruption of the processes that require energy in the nervous and hormonal systems and glands. Endocrine, vascular and immune system.