A groundbreaking study has revealed that tomato juice possesses the ability to combat the superbug salmonella, particularly the more lethal strain responsible for typhoid fever, a disease that can also be transmitted through faeces and oral sex.

Researchers from Cornell University in New York conducted this study, demonstrating that tomato juice not only eradicates salmonella but also targets other bacteria that pose threats to people’s digestive and urinary tract health.

Salmonella Typhi is a human-specific pathogen responsible for typhoid fever, a potentially life-threatening illness characterised by symptoms like high fever, abdominal discomfort, constipation, or diarrhoea. If left untreated, this bacteria can transition from the digestive system into the bloodstream, spreading to other parts of the body and potentially causing internal bleeding or bowel rupture.

Salmonella Typhi is typically transmitted through contaminated water or food washed in contaminated water. However, it can also spread through inadequate hygiene practices after using the restroom, tainted dairy products, and even through oral sex with an infected carrier. While cases of typhoid fever in the UK remain rare, there was an increase last year as Covid restrictions eased, allowing travel to regions where the disease is more prevalent, such as South Asia.

Now, researchers have unveiled a novel potential treatment using tomato juice.

The study identified antimicrobial peptides in tomato juice, which are minuscule proteins that effectively target and eliminate bacteria. The results, published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, not only demonstrated the peptides’ capacity to combat various strains of the bacteria but also assessed tomato juice’s efficacy in eradicating Salmonella and other pathogens that threaten digestive and urinary tract health.

Associate Professor Dr. Jeongmin Song, from Cornell, stated, “Our main goal in this study was to find out if tomato and tomato juice can kill enteric pathogens [those in the digestive tract], including Salmonella Typhi, and if so, what qualities they have that make them work. Our research shows that tomato and tomato juice can get rid of enteric bacteria like Salmonella.”

The researchers hope that this study’s findings will encourage the public to incorporate more tomatoes, as well as other fruits and vegetables, into their diets.