Experts Urge Dark-Colored Whole Foods to Cut Chronic Inflammation Risk

Q: A potent antioxidant in tomatoes is linked to longevity. How can you maximize its benefits in your daily diet?

To get the most from lycopene, the tomato antioxidant linked to longevity, eat tomatoes cooked and with healthy fats. Lycopene is fat-soluble, so your body absorbs it much better from tomato sauce, paste, soup, or roasted tomatoes than from raw tomatoes alone, especially when they are prepared with olive oil, avocado, nuts, or seeds. That means practical choices matter: pasta sauce made with extra-virgin olive oil, tomato soup with a drizzle of oil, eggs with cooked tomatoes, or salsa paired with avocado can all improve absorption. Research cited in the background material shows avocado can raise lycopene absorption several-fold, and cooking helps convert lycopene into forms the body uses more easily. Tomato products are the richest source, providing most dietary lycopene in Western diets, but watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, and apricots can add more. Deep-red, ripe tomatoes generally contain more lycopene than paler ones. Experts also place lycopene in a broader anti-inflammatory eating pattern. Pair tomato foods with leafy greens, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and omega-3-rich foods, while cutting back on ultraprocessed foods and excess alcohol. That approach supports gut health and helps reduce chronic inflammation, which is closely tied to long-term disease risk and healthy aging. In daily practice, the simplest strategy is regular servings of cooked tomato foods with healthy fat as part of a Mediterranean-style diet.

3 articles · Updated · TODAY · Jul 6

Dark-colored whole foods—such as blackberries, purple cabbage and beets—are a simple marker for anti-inflammatory choices, experts told TODAY.com, because they are typically rich in fiber, antioxidants and plant compounds.
Chronic inflammation can last months to years and is increasingly linked to many chronic diseases, making diet a key tool for lowering risk and supporting longer-term health.
Anthocyanins in blueberries and Lycopene in tomatoes are examples of phytonutrients tied to anti-inflammatory effects; dietitians also recommend pairing them with leafy greens, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy fats.
Lighter foods are not excluded: yogurt with active cultures, kefir and sauerkraut can also help by supporting the gut microbiome with probiotics, while experts advise cutting alcohol and ultraprocessed foods and adding more omega-3-rich foods.