Genetically modified tomato contains as much D vitamin as two eggs

"Super tomato" is genetically engineered to produce as much vitamin D as two EGGS – and could help ward off cancer, Parkinson's, and dementia, a study finds.

British researchers used a gene editing technique known as CRISPR to edit the gene involved in converting provitamin D3 into cholesterol.

They say editing this gene allows the tomato to keep more of the provitamin, which can be converted to vitamin D through UV exposure or sunlight.

The researchers from the John Innes Centre in Norwich claim the vitamin D you can get from eating one of these genetically modified tomatoes is equivalent to two eggs or 28 grams of tuna.

They could therefore help satisfy child and adult daily requirements for vitamin D3, reducing the risk of developing diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. 

Vitamin D deficiency is a major global health issue that affects approximately one billion people worldwide.

In the UK, most people will get the vitamin D they need from sunlight between April and September, as long as they go outside.

This is because the body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

However, during the winter months, we are more reliant on getting our vitamin D from foods such as oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks – though few foods contain enough vitamin D to reach the recommended daily intake.

As a result, one-in-six Brits have low levels of the 'sunshine nutrient' in their blood – increasing their risk of a host of illnesses.

'These tomatoes could represent a new dietary source – with potential public health implications,' the researchers said in a press release.

Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

The essential nutrient has also been associated with improvements in mood, immunity, sleep and a wide range of other health-related issues.

'Deficiencies in vitamin D impact immune function and inflammation and are associated with increased risk of cancer, Parkinson's disease, depression, neuro-cognitive decline, dementia and the severity of Covid,' the study states.

'Most foods contain little vitamin D and plants are very poor sources. We have engineered the accumulation in tomato by genome editing to provide a biofortified food.'

The researchers claim the technique could be adapted for use in a host of other crops – such as potatoes, peppers and chillies.

Prof Dominique Van Der Straeten, of Ghent University, Belgium, who was not involved in the study, described it as a 'leap forward'.

'Biotechnological interventions can reduce dependence on animal-derived foods by increasing the nutritional value of crop products – making them valuable alternatives,' she said.

'Establishing global food security while limiting erosion of the Earth's buffering capacity against the threat of collapse under the burden of global climate change is essential.

'In this context, there is growing awareness of the need for a complete food systems transition, given that healthy diet is a necessity for humans as much as for the survival of the delicate ecosystem equilibria on the planet.