Isabel Viña, a doctor, on the benefits of gazpacho: "It provides us with a lot of water and has quite unique and interesting properties."

With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures, gazpacho becomes the king of many Spanish tables. But beyond being a refreshing drink, is it really a healthy food? Doctor Isabel Viña, known for her TikTok posts, has cleared up any doubts and highlighted the "quite unique and interesting properties" of this icon of Mediterranean gastronomy .

Viña recently explained in a video that gazpacho, in addition to being a "cool" option that provides us with "extra hydration"—that is, it "gives us a lot of water"—contains a key nutritional secret: lycopene . This powerful antioxidant , found in tomatoes, is especially beneficial for liver health. However, the doctor wanted to highlight an important nuance about this compound.

"The lycopene found in tomato skin isn't entirely bioavailable, meaning it's not fully accessible to our bodies," Viña explains. This is where gazpacho really shines. The preparation of this cold soup plays a fundamental role in optimizing the absorption of this antioxidant. Grinding the tomatoes, an essential step in making gazpacho, breaks down the cell walls and releases the lycopene, making it much more accessible to our bodies.

But the magic doesn't end there. The addition of a healthy fat like olive oil , another star ingredient in gazpacho, further enhances the bioavailability of lycopene. "When we blend it or subject it to high temperatures, and/or add a source of healthy fat like olive oil, that lycopene becomes extremely bioavailable," he explained in the video. Gazpacho, by its very nature, combines these two key factors: blending and olive oil, thus becoming an excellent source of this valuable antioxidant.

Therefore, for all those who had doubts about including gazpacho in their daily diet, Dr. Viña is clear. "If you had doubts about gazpacho, I hope this video will help you get started," she explained. It's a food that "has it all": it's refreshing, healthy , and loaded with essential nutrients. However, as with any food, moderation is key. Isabel Viña emphasized the importance of consuming gazpacho "in moderation, because it shouldn't displace the intake of other vegetables or other foods."

In this sense, the expert asserted that gazpacho should complement a varied and balanced diet, not replace other vegetables and equally important sources of nutrients. Gazpacho is not only a culinary delight for the warmer months, but also an ally for our health, thanks to its high water content and the unique way it allows us to assimilate lycopene.