# Savoury instead of sweet: lycopene, protein and why a soup satiates differently

> Tomatoes are worth more processed than raw - for lycopene that is well documented. What freeze-drying has to do with it, and why collagen does not have to come in a fruit drink.

Supplements have become remarkably sweet: shakes, bars, fruit drinks. Yet there is a second route that is far more obvious in winter - a warm, savoury cup.

## Processing makes lycopene more available

For most plant compounds, raw counts as better. With the **lycopene** in tomatoes it is the other way round. Gärtner, Stahl and Sies (1997) compared fresh tomatoes with tomato paste and found markedly higher blood lycopene levels after the processed product. Two reasons: tomato cell walls are tough and only release the carotenoid through processing, and heat shifts part of the all-trans lycopene into cis forms that are absorbed better.

Then there is fat dependence. Lycopene is fat-soluble and needs lipids in the gut to enter micelles at all (Story et al. 2010).

## What freeze-drying does to the matrix

In freeze-drying the product is frozen, after which the ice passes directly into vapour under vacuum. No liquid phase arises and temperatures stay low. Ratti (2001) summarised the comparison with hot-air drying: lower thermal load, better preserved structure, markedly better rehydration. The porous matrix takes up water again when hot water is poured on, instead of clumping.

## Why a soup satiates differently than a shake

Flood and Rolls (2007) had participants eat a soup before lunch - in various consistencies. Regardless of form, the soup markedly reduced the energy subsequently consumed compared with the same amount of energy in solid or separated form. Several factors sit behind this: volume, warmth, and eating time, because you spoon rather than drink.

Protein pulls in the same direction. Halton and Hu (2004) summarised the evidence on protein's greater satiating effect compared with carbohydrate and fat.

## Collagen in a savoury carrier matrix

Collagen hydrolysate is neutral in taste and stable enough in heat to work in a soup. For the body the carrier matrix is secondary - what counts are the peptides and the amount. What changes is the slot in the day: not the breakfast glass but midday or evening. For protein in general the authorised claim is that it contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. For collagen as such EFSA has approved no health claim.

## How WOO® Tomatensuppe mit Kollagen is set up

**[WOO® Tomatensuppe mit Kollagen](/en/shop/woo-tomato-soup-with-collagen)** is based on freeze-dried tomatoes, plus collagen hydrolysate, onions, carrots, tomato paste, olive oil, butter, garlic, pepper, salt and erythritol. Olive oil and butter are not only there for taste: they supply the fat lycopene needs for absorption.

A 50 g serving is made up with 300 ml of hot water and provides 162 kcal and 11.7 g of protein. The salt content of 1.24 g per serving belongs in an honest declaration - expected in a soup, but worth counting in the daily balance. The pack contains 4 servings. Produced in Switzerland.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is this a complete meal?**
At 162 kcal it is a light meal or a warm course. Anyone making lunch out of it sensibly adds bread, vegetables or another protein source.

**Is lycopene lost when hot water is added?**
Lycopene is comparatively heat-stable. It is more sensitive to light and oxygen - so store it dry, cool and sealed.

**Why collagen in a soup rather than a shake?**
Because the peptides stay the same while the situation is different. Anyone who wants nothing sweet in the evening, or prefers something warm in winter, has an alternative here.

## Sources

Gärtner C, Stahl W & Sies H (1997), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - Lycopene is more bioavailable from tomato paste than from fresh tomatoes.
Story EN et al. (2010), Annual Review of Food Science and Technology - An update on the health effects of tomato lycopene.
Ratti C (2001), Journal of Food Engineering - Hot air and freeze-drying of high-value foods: a review.
Flood JE & Rolls BJ (2007), Appetite - Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake.
Halton TL & Hu FB (2004), Journal of the American College of Nutrition - The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss.

*WOO® Tomatensuppe mit Kollagen - in the NEMAPO shop.*