We had a lot of fun here at RocketNews informing you of the tomato juice diet fad earlier this year, followed by the shocking announcement of tomato juice preventing drunkenness.
Despite my own personal hatred for this beverage that tastes like vomit chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes, it was good to see people get into this otherwise healthy drink.
Sadly, it looks as if this fad has run its course, based on the latest tomato juice based research sponsored by juice maker Kagome. News of the tomato juice fad’s death came shortly after results of research conducted by Kagome and the Suzuka University of Medical Science were announced. According to the study, mice who drank tomato juice before exercising were 30% less fatigued than mice who drank tomato juice after exercising.
Realizing that these results might only apply to people who drink tomato juice immediately before or immediately after exercising, a disappointed public turned their collective back and walked away. This was to be all that tomato juice could offer us.
After a brief period of mourning, weight conscious consumers will undoubtedly be eagerly awaiting the next miracle food. I hear peanut butter is due for a comeback.
In the meantime, let us remember tomato juice for what it was: a healthy but thoroughly unenjoyable drink that is again resigned to a dusty corner of supermarket shelves waiting for the next person who wants to make a Bloody Caesar.
Source: Yahoo News (Japanese)
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10 Comments
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TokyoTanuki
Pretty sure that a Bloody Mary is a hell of a lot more likely than a cocktail that adds clam juice to it (ewww).
oberst
the shocking announcement of tomato juice preventing drunkenness.............................got drunk on Bloody Mary once. LOL
presto345
Fads have a habit of being short-lived and that's fine with me. There will be plenty of tomatoes and tomato juice left for me then :-)
cleo
So is that why the price of tomatoes has been so high lately? Kagome has been buying them all up to make juice? In that case, I'm glad the fad has run its course. Prices can get back to normal. Though as long as the summer lasts, I'll be getting my vine-ripened tomatoes from the allotment.
smithinjapan
"Sadly, it looks as if this fad has run its course, based on the latest tomato juice based research sponsored by juice maker Kagome"
This is what kills me... when every Betty Tanaka and their dog see some variety show or NHK special introducing a new fad they flock to the stores and buy up all the produce (or canned goods, or what have you) on the shelves and swear on their family that it's great and good, then drop it soon after for the next trend, and it's ALWAYS sponsored by companies with very direct and vested interests.
This trend WAS acually a wee bit healtier than many, although the banana and cucumber 'diets' of last year were also pretty healthy (natto's healthy, but the show which introduced the natto diet a in 2010 was chock full of lies), and while I can understand why so many might want to pick something new up and try it out, I can't understand why they're so quick to dump it when they realize something actually DOES have certain good qualities to it.
Now it's all "Shio-kouji" this and "shio-kouji" that, and while it is a rather tasty condiment, it's primarily salt. Ah well... I suppose we'll see the next trend coming out with the summer heat, promising to "help you feel cool"... probably egg-plant diet or something.
escape_artist
I don't think it's so much a matter of people not thinking drinking tomato juice isn't healthy anymore, but more that they just don't want to be seen as being behind the times, or not following the latest fashions/trends/fads. Worrying about how one is seen by others, and especially not sticking out too much by daring to follow your own trends, are both endemic here in Japan from what I've experienced.
Daytime TV shows in Japan have an enormous amount of (undeserved) influence, but themselves have to stay "legitimate" to their loyal followers (and economically afloat as well) by continually pushing new fads, constantly reporting on what's "new" even if's really not, and breathlessly going on about how the most mundane topics are so vitally important to our lives. I suppose one could argue this is the same with these kinds of TV shows everywhere, but it does seem more sheep-like in Japan compared to my home country.
Serrano
"tomato juice... tastes like vomit"
It does not.
Ninoh
Well, it's better then GMO juice.
cloa513
My wife loved tomato juice for a while. When will we have real peanut butter- not Skippy rubbish.
Elbuda Mexicano
I love tomatoes and tomato juice!! In this horrible heat and humidity, adding a bit of salt, pinch of pepper, tabasco, aha a little lemon or lime juice, you will be in heaven!! My Japanese amigos need to learn from Mexico, where all of the world's tomatoes originate from, our gift to the rest of the world.