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An Instagram post claims that Rubbing a Tomato With Sugar Brightens the skin. The claim is MISLEADING.

Claim

In an Instagram post, it is claimed that Rubbing a Tomato With Sugar Brightens the skin. The post by user hindi.beauty.tips says, “Rubbing sugar on a tomato and applying it to the face helps remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin.”

The post can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claim by user is MISLEADING. Tomato application and consumption might offer skin benefits such as improved brightness and elasticity and topical application of tomato with sugar could aid in exfoliation. However, no scientific evidence or medical consensus supports the claim that applying tomatoes topically can remove dead skin cells or visibly brighten the skin n.

What are the Benefits of Tomatoes?

Tomatoes are among the most commonly consumed foods worldwide, valued for their abundance of vital nutrients and powerful antioxidants. They are a good source of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and essential amino acids like leucine, threonine, and lysine. Additionally, they contain beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids, carotenoids like lycopene and β-carotene, and phytosterols including β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol. Lycopene, the primary carotenoid in tomatoes, has been associated with a lower risk of various health issues, including cancer, heart disease, cognitive disorders, and osteoporosis. The antioxidant compounds in tomatoes help safeguard the body by neutralizing reactive oxygen species, thus minimizing oxidative damage to key cellular components like lipids, proteins, and DNA. As a result, incorporating tomatoes into the diet may boost antioxidant defenses and reduce the risk of conditions related to oxidative stress.

What is Sugar?

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that includes naturally occurring forms like glucose and fructose, found in fruits and vegetables, and refined forms like sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), commonly added to processed foods. While natural sugars are essential for energy and part of whole foods, refined sugars are highly processed and not found in nature except in rare cases like honey. These added sugars are a recent addition in human evolution and are now present in nearly 75% of packaged foods, contributing to various health concerns when consumed in excess.

Can Rubbing Tomato With Sugar Brighten Skin?

Tomato application and consumption may help improve skin brightness and elasticity. Hence, the claim by the user is MISLEADING. 

Tomato extracts are increasingly recognized in dermatological research for their skin-enhancing properties. A study on tomato seed extract by Mrs. Vaishali Sorte et. al. found that they exhibit multiple dermatological benefits, including anti-aging effects, prevention of hyperpigmentation, regulation of sebum (oil) production, and improvement in skin brightness and pore tightness.

Tomatoes, rich in antioxidants like lycopene, have long been studied for their potential skin benefits. A recent study published in the Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology evaluated that continuous intake of the tomato extract formulation over eight weeks significantly improved skin hydration and visibly brightened skin, likely through its antioxidant mechanism.

Tomato consumption has also been associated with skin benefits like enhanced skin elasticity. A study published in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications found that daily consumption of tomato seed extract may help maintain and improve facial skin elasticity.

Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.

Dr. Varsha Rangari, Sr.Consultant – Dermatologist & Cosmetologist, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in a conversation with The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team, said, “Tomato contains natural acids like citric and malic acid that can mildly exfoliate the skin, while sugar acts as a physical exfoliant. When gently rubbed, this combination can temporarily brighten the complexion. However, there is no scientific evidence that it’s a substitute for scientifically formulated skincare products and should be used with caution, especially on sensitive skin. Also, one has to be careful about allergies to any of the ingredients.”

Dr. Madhur Basude, Consultant – Dermatologist, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, further said, “Using a mix of tomato and sugar as a DIY scrub can offer a temporary glow by sloughing off dead skin cells—thanks to the fruit’s natural acids and sugar’s exfoliating texture. While it might feel refreshing, it’s important to remember that not all skin types react the same way. Always patch test first, as natural ingredients can still cause irritation or allergic reactions. Further, there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus that it can be used to remove dead skin cells or brighten skin.”

Medical Dialogues Final Take

The claim that rubbing a tomato with sugar brightens the skin is misleading. While applying and consuming tomatoes may support skin brightness and elasticity due to their antioxidant content, and rubbing tomato with sugar may have an exfoliating effect, there is no scientific evidence confirming that this topical mixture brightens the skin.

Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.

China: A new analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014 has revealed a significant association between frailty and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in US adults aged 40 and older.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has issued its first Concise Clinical Guidance (CCG) to create more streamlined and efficient processes to implement best practices in patient care. This CCG focuses on evaluating and managing cardiogenic shock (CS), addressing important questions around clinical decision-making and providing actionable guidance for health care providers.

“ACC has a long history of developing clinical policy to complement clinical practice guidelines and to inform clinicians about areas where evidence is new and evolving or where randomized data is more limited. Despite this, numerous gaps persist in the evaluation and management of CS,” said Shashank S. Sinha, MD, MSc, FACC, writing committee chair and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. Dr Sinha serves as Director, Cardiogenic Shock Program, Inova Health System; Medical Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Cardiology; and Director of the Cardiovascular Critical Care Research Program. “Concise Clinical Guidance represents a key component of solution sets. They are highly focused, limited in scope, and aim to illustrate clinical decision-making processes using figures, tables, and checklists. They address patient populations who share certain characteristics, such as critically ill conditions like CS.”

CS is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs, resulting in hypotension (low blood pressure) and multi-organ damage or failure. CS has a high in-hospital mortality rate, ranging from 30 to 50%, and is one of the most common causes of cardiac intensive care admission.

The CCG addresses the importance of early recognition of CS for improving patient outcomes, providing comprehensive recommendations for its initial assessment, introducing a new mnemonic, SUSPECT CS, which includes laboratory markers along with clinical assessment for congestion-such as pulmonary edema, jugular venous distension and peripheral edema-and hypoperfusion.

“These markers should include a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, cardiac biomarkers including troponin and natriuretic peptides, lactic acid and arterial or venous blood gas,” Sinha said. “Once CS is suspected, a 12-lead electrocardiogram, chest radiography-and a transthoracic echocardiogram and/or point-of-care ultrasound, if available-should be completed as soon as possible.”

Other recommendations outlined in the CCG include invasive hemodynamic monitoring via pulmonary artery catheter for both the diagnosis and management of CS. It provides guidance on the medical management of CS with a focus on maintaining tissue perfusion to preserve organ performance. It also provides guidance on what to do when end-organ perfusion cannot be maintained with pharmacological interventions alone with escalation to temporary mechanical circulatory support.

For the first time, the CCG provides a one hour and 24-hour roadmap for clinicians on the evaluation and management of CS. In addition, it provides recommendations for the pharmacological and temporary mechanical circulatory support treatment for CS, highlights the need for ongoing patient monitoring, reassessment and follow-up, and provides guidance for the decision-making around a patient’s candidacy for advanced therapies, heart recovery or transfers to advanced heart failure centers. It also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary, team-based collaboration for the care of patients with CS.

“Community-based centers with limited resources should identify an on-site clinician to serve as their ‘shock champion’ as well as a center providing advanced heart failure therapies to partner with on complex CS cases,” Sinha said. “These partnerships are a key ingredient to successful strategies for managing this complex syndrome.”

Reference:

Shashank S. Sinha, David A. Morrow, Navin K. Kapur, Rachna Kataria, Robert O. Roswell, 2025 Concise Clinical Guidance: An ACC Expert Consensus Statement on the Evaluation and Management of Cardiogenic Shock: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.02.018.

Recent randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative esketamine in reducing postpartum depression (PPD) among women undergoing cesarean delivery. The trial was carried out at The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China, from March 2023 to February 2024. The participants included pregnant patients admitted for cesarean delivery, with exclusions for those having intellectual dysfunction or contraindications to esketamine. A total of 308 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the esketamine group (154 participants) or the control group receiving saline (154 participants) in a 1:1 ratio, following the intention-to-treat principle.

Intervention Details

The intervention for the esketamine group involved a 20-minute infusion of 0.25 mg/kg esketamine in saline, whereas the control group received saline only. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of PPD at 6 weeks postpartum, which was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A secondary outcome included the incidence of PPD at 1 week postpartum and assessment of pain levels using a numerical rating scale (NRS) postoperatively.

Results Summary

Results indicated a significantly lower incidence of PPD at 6 weeks postpartum in the esketamine group (10.4%) compared to the control group (19.5%), yielding a relative risk (RR) of 0.53 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.30 to 0.93 (P = .02). Conversely, no significant difference was observed at 1 week postpartum, where incidences were 15.6% for the esketamine group and 24.0% for the control group (RR=0.64; P = .06). At 6 weeks postpartum, EPDS scores also reflected this trend, with lower median scores in the esketamine group (5 vs 6; P = .02), indicating less depressive symptom severity. The findings suggested that esketamine may effectively reduce the incidence of PPD among women undergoing cesarean delivery when assessed at a 6-week follow-up, but not at 1 week postpartum. Stratified analyses did not reveal significant advantages of esketamine in reducing PPD across various subgroups, nor did it impact pain scores after surgery. However, there was a noted reduction in the frequency of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) bolus administration among the esketamine group, which may indicate potential benefits for managing postoperative pain.

Adverse Events and Monitoring

Despite the promising results, the trial noted some adverse events associated with esketamine use, including dizziness, trance-like states, and dream-like sensations. While these effects were transient, they highlighted the need for careful monitoring of patients receiving esketamine. The trial also pointed out that a better understanding of the optimal dosing and administration routes for esketamine could help mitigate adverse reactions and enhance its effectiveness.

Conclusion and Future Research

In conclusion, this trial provided evidence for the potential use of esketamine as a preventive measure against PPD in women who have undergone cesarean delivery, though further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore the broader clinical implications. Large-scale, multicenter studies are necessary to validate these results and enhance understanding of esketamine’s role in postpartum mental health care.

Key Points

– A randomized clinical trial involving 308 women undergoing cesarean delivery was conducted to assess the efficacy of intraoperative esketamine on postpartum depression (PPD), with participants divided equally into esketamine and control groups.

– The intervention for the esketamine group included a 20-minute infusion of 0.25 mg/kg esketamine in saline, while the control group received only saline. The primary outcome measured was the incidence of PPD at 6 weeks postpartum, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

– At 6 weeks postpartum, the esketamine group showed a significantly lower incidence of PPD (10.4%) compared to the control group (19.5%), with a relative risk of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.93, P = .02). No significant difference was recorded at 1 week postpartum, with incidences of 15.6% for esketamine and 24.0% for control (RR=0.64; P = .06).

– EPDS scores reflected improved outcomes at 6 weeks, with the esketamine group reporting lower median scores (5 vs 6, P = .02), indicating reduced depressive symptom severity. Stratified analyses showed no significant differences in PPD reduction across demographic subgroups. – Participants in the esketamine group experienced fewer demands for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) boluses post-surgery, suggesting potential benefits in postoperative pain management, although pain scores did not significantly differ between groups.

– Adverse effects such as dizziness and dream-like sensations were recorded with esketamine use, emphasizing the importance of monitoring. The need for further research, including large-scale multicenter studies, was identified to validate the findings and explore optimal dosing and administration for improved safety and efficacy in managing postpartum mental health.

Reference –

Li Ren et al. (2025). Intraoperative Esketamine And Postpartum Depression Among Women With Cesarean Delivery. *JAMA Network Open*, 8. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.59331.

A simple urine test could accurately show the recurrence of kidney cancer at an early stage, potentially sparing patients invasive scans and enabling faster access to treatment, new research has shown.

The findings are presented today [Monday 24 March 2025] at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Madrid and have been accepted for publication in European Urology Oncology.

The test analyses the distinctive profiles of certain types of sugar molecules, called glycosaminoglycans which are found in urine. These profiles are known as the GAGome.

The international AURORAX-0087A (AUR87A) study is assessing whether a GAGome test can accurately detect the return of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) following surgery. This is the most common form of kidney cancer and accounts for up to 90% of cases. There are around 400,000 patients diagnosed with ccRCC worldwide each year.

Around one-fifth of ccRCC patients who have surgery to remove their cancer will see it return within five years – the majority within the first two years. Currently, the only way to monitor patients is through a scan – usually a CT scan – every 6 to 12 months, with the frequency depending on their level of risk.

The study’s initial cohort involved 134 patients treated at 23 hospitals across the UK, EU, USA and Canada. The patients were all diagnosed with ccRCC which had not spread beyond the kidney, and which was treated with surgery. Most had their kidney completely removed. All patients continued to have CT scans as standard monitoring after surgery, alongside a urine test every 3 months. Each urine sample was analysed using mass spectrometry to produce a score out of 100, called the GAGome score.

After up to 18 months of follow up, 15% of patients had seen their cancer return. The GAGome test was extremely sensitive in picking up recurrence, correctly identifying 90% of patients whose cancer had returned, while correctly ruling out just over half of those who remained cancer-free. These results were based on a GAGome score threshold optimised at 12/100. A score above 12 was counted as positive, and 12 or below as negative.

A positive result in the study yielded a 26% chance the patient actually had a recurrence. More importantly, a negative GAGome score resulted in a highly reliable 97% chance that the patient did not have a recurrence. The higher the GAGome score, the more likely the positive result correctly identified recurrence.

This level of accuracy is similar to CT scans and offers advantages to using scans alone, according to lead researcher on the study, Saeed Dabestani, Associate Professor at Lund University and Consultant Urologist at Kristianstad Central Hospital, Sweden.

“CT scans often pick up small lesions that aren’t large enough to biopsy, and we currently don’t know whether they are a sign of the cancer returning or not,” he explained. “Our only option is to do more frequent scans to monitor more closely, which is unpleasant for patients and often brings little benefit.

“If you have a urine test that can accurately show whether the cancer has actually returned then you can better assess risk levels and reduce the frequency of the scans required. Based on the results we have so far, it’s likely that we could safely halve the number of scans that patients have to undergo.”

Dr Carmen Mir Maresma, Consultant Uro-Oncologist from University Hospitals La Ribera in Valencia, Spain, and member of the EAU Scientific Congress Office said: “Developing biomarkers for kidney cancer is a major challenge and this study provides a stepping stone towards that goal. The results are really interesting, in that the test showed a high negative predictive value. If the test comes back negative, you can be more or less sure there is no cancer recurrence, but if it’s positive, then we need to look further. The test is also based on a suite of biomarkers, rather than just one molecule, which provides a more robust basis for making decisions on treatment.

“We don’t know yet whether finding recurrence sooner will save patients’ lives – more research is needed to determine that. There are also changes in post-operative treatment underway, with some countries licensing the immunotherapy pembrolizumab for kidney cancer. More research will also be needed to understand how this biomarker interacts with that therapy.”

The international team involved in the AUR87A study is nearing final recruitment of the second cohort of patients, the results from which will be used to validate the findings from the first cohort. These results are expected towards the end of this year.

The GAGome test used in the AUR87A study is under development by Swedish diagnostics company, Elypta, for whom Dabestani also acts as a medical adviser. The test has not yet been approved for clinical use in diagnostic procedures and further research will be required to confirm its effectiveness in clinical practice.

Reference:

Urine test could halve post-op scans for kidney cancer, European Association of Urology, Meeting: EAU25 European Association of Urology Congress.