Tomato Juice

     Ever get the urge to drink a glass of tomato juice on an airplane? Apparently many people do and there's a scientific explanation why. For many airplane passengers it's their drink of choice. 
     Supposedly this is because of a tradition that dates back to the days when flying was terrifying. My experience is that it still is for some. Anyway...it was supposed to calm peoples' nerves when they drank tomato juice. 
     A few years ago Lufthansa hired a German research institute to study why tomato juice is so well liked and the the research company put people in flight simulators to test things. People consistently rated tomato juice as tasting better during the simulated flight than it did on the ground. Apparently at higher elevations tomato juice tastes more acidic and has a bit more of a mineral taste. 
     At 30,000 feet or so, a normal cruising altitude, the plane's atmosphere is at the equivalent of about 5,000 feet so your blood gets less oxygen and as a result your odor and taste receptors are less sensitive. At the lower pressure your snot expands which makes it even harder to taste. Also, the humidity in most airline cabins is about 10 to 15 percent which dries out your mouth and nose which also adversely affects taste. In other words, your sense of smell and taste are greatly diminished which explains why airline food is so bland. So, tomato juice actually tastes better. 
     But if you aren't aware that tomato juice tastes better at altitude, why order it? So, the research company looked for answers to that question, too. Reasons varied; some drink it because it's filling and for others it settles a queasy stomach. But, that wasn't the main reason people drank it. Here's the real reason...they drink it because the airlines offer it. Surprise! 
     Tomato Juice Benefits: Colon health (I won't make any jokes about this one), digestive health, lowers cholesterol, it promotes prostate health (no jokes about this one either), it's good for your pancreas (whatever that is), it's an antioxidant, and the list goes on. Check it out at New Health Guide.

How to make fresh tomato juice ...a YouTube video
20 Amazing Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Drink the juice or eat the whole thing?

     Closely related to tomato juice are Clamato juice (a revolting concoction of tomato juice and clam juice) and V8 juice. What about them?  What type of people drink Clamato?   

     What about V8 Juice? Besides diarrhea and belching the stuff up for hours after drinking it that is.  Bad Side Effects of Drinking V8 juice.  Or worse yet, it contains dead animal parts.