Why eating tomato is good for you?
- Eating tomatoes, ketchup, tomato sauce two times a week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 21 to 43
percent according to Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard University School
of Public Health. *1
- "The only nutrient that turned out to have significant preventative value
(against prostate cancer) was lycopene," writes Dr. Giovannucci who also found
that lycopene was most efficiently absorbed into the body when accompanied by
dietary fats (limpids). *1
- "Cooking tomatoes in oil encourages intestinal absorption and results in a
two-to-threefold rise in plasma lycopene concentrations," said Dr. Giovannucci.
"Tomato sauce is one of the best lycopene sources." *1
- Men who eat two or more servings of tomato products average a 35 percent
reduction in prostate cancer risk. *1
- Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers that have also spread
to other parts of the body. *1
- The best food sources of lycopene according to the Tomato Research Council
in New York City: ( Amount of lycopene in one ounce) Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti
Sauce, Ketchup (5 mg); Tomato Soup, Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Vegetable
Juice (3 mg); Minestrone Soup, Vegetable Soup, Pink Grapefruit (1 mg) *2
- Lycopene helps women guard against cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, (CIN),
tumorous tissue growth in the cervix according to research from the University
of Illinois at Chicago. *3
- Lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of the growth of breast, endometrium
(inner lining of the uterus) and lung cancer cells. *4
- Tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in
the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD
( Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness. *5
- Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium
- Lycopene is an inhibitor to heart disease. *6
Organic ketchup protects against cancer - Exclusive from New Scientist
Print Edition
January 09 2005 - Anna Gosline
- Organic varieties of tomato ketchup contain three times as much of a
cancer-fighting chemical called lycopene as non-organic brands. *7
- In the US, tomato ketchup comes in purple and green varieties as well as
the traditional red. Betty Ishida and Mary Chapman at the Agricultural
Research Service in Albany, California, US, wondered if the coloringmight be
indicative of low levels of lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red. *7
- The chemical has been shown to help protect against breast, pancreatic,
prostate and intestinal cancer, especially when eaten with fatty foods. There
is also evidence that lycopene can reduce the risk of heart attacks ( New
Scientist print edition, 23 December 2000). *7
- The researchers tested lycopene levels and antioxidant activity in 13
ketchup brands: six popular ones, three organic, two store brands and two from
fast-food chains. Purple and green ketchups had a similar lycopene content to
their plain red counterparts. *7
- But organic ketchups excelled, with one brand containing 183 micrograms of
lycopene per gram of ketchup, about five times as much per weight as a tomato.
Non-organic brands averaged 100 micrograms per gram, with one fast-food sample
containing just 60 micrograms per gram. *7
- If you want high lycopene levels, says Ishida, the rule of thumb is to
pick the darkest red ketchup. *7
Tomato Paste Found to Function as Internal Sunscreen, Blocking UV Rays and
Protecting Skin Health - NaturalNews.com
September 24 2008 - David Gutierrez
Foods rich in cooked tomatoes may boost your body's ability to ward off skin
damage from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and stave off the effects of aging,
according to a study conducted by researchers from the universities of
Manchester and Newcastle, England, and presented to the British Society for
Investigative Dermatology.
Researchers fed 10 volunteers a daily supplement of 10 grams of olive oil and
55 grams of standard tomato paste, while another 10 were given only the olive
oil. After three months, the researchers analyzed skin samples from all 20
participants.
They found that volunteers who had eaten the tomatoes exhibited 33 percent
more protection against sunburn than those who had taken olive oil alone. They
also had higher levels of procollagen, a protein that plays a crucial role in
preserving skin structure.
"The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly.
These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin aging process,"
researcher Lesley Rhodes said.
"These weren't huge amounts of tomato we were feeding the group. It was the
sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of
tomato-based meals."
The scientists believe that lycopene neutralizes free radicals that are
formed when UV radiation strikes the skin. These free radicals have been linked
to cancer and the effects of aging.
The researchers warned that the sun protection acquired from the tomatoes was
equivalent only to that provided by a low-grade sunscreen and should be used as
a "helpful addition," rather than a replacement.
References:
*1 Giovannucci, Edward et al., "Intake of Carotenoids and Retinol in Relation
to Risk of prostate Cancer," Journal of the National Cancer Miracle Nutrient
That Can Prevent Aging, Heart Diseaseand Cancer," Advanced Research Press, Inc.
1999. Hauppauge, N.Y.
*2 Tomato Research Council, Article, "Lycopene in the American Diet," Undated
*3 Hanley, Daniel Q., "Tomatoes, Oranges, Pasta and Soybeans Studied as
Cancer fighters," AP, April 14, 1997
*4 Kumpulainen, Jorma T. et al, "Natural Antioxidants and Food Quality in
Atherosclerosis and Cancer Prevention," Royal Society of Chemistry Information
Services and Scheer, James F., "Tomato Power! Lycopene: The Miracle Nutrient
That Can Prevent Aging, Heart Disease and Cancer," Advanced Research Press, Inc.
1999. Hauppauge, N.Y.
*5 Meres-Perlman, Julie A., Ph.D., "Serum Antioxidants and Age-Related
Macular Degeneration in a Population-Based Case-Control Study," Archives
Ophthalmology, December, 1995, Vol. 113:1518-1523.
*6 Aviram, Michael, Ph.D., "Lycopene and Antherosclerosis," A publication of
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Scheer, James F., "Tomato Power!
Lycopene: The Miracle Nutrient That Can Prevent Aging, Heart Disease and
Cancer," Advanced Research Press, Inc. 1999. Hauppauge, N.Y.
*7 Journal reference: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (DOI:
10.1021/jf0401540)