Can a Tomato Diet Reduce the Risk of Getting Prostate Cancer?

Tomatoes contain protect individuals against prostate cancer. In addition, tomatoes are able to slow down the growth of a tumor.

The study was undertaken on mice, with researchers discovering that the mice which had a daily meal of ten per cent cherry tomato powder had reduced rates of cancer and lived longer than mice on a normal diet.

The University of Naples study concluded that daily consumption of tomatoes had a highly effective impact on prevention of prostate cancer in mice.

The Cancer Research Britain disagrees, claiming that this study is not evidence enough that tomatoes can lower the risk of prostate cancer or prevent the progression of this disease in humans.

There are other factors which play a far greater role like family history, age and ethnicity, than just diet.

Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is found abundant in tomatoes and tomato products. Studies found that lycopene may help reduce some cancer and heart disease. The most compelling evidence so far is the role of lycopene in prostate cancer prevention.

In a study of over 40,000 health professionals, Harvard investigators found that men who ate more than 10 servings tomato-based foods daily (like cooked tomatoes and tomato sauce,) had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who ate the least amount of these foods. The benefits of lycopene was more pronounced with advanced stages of prostate cancer.

In another study of prostate cancer, researchers looked at blood levels of lycopene and found that the risk of developing prostate cancer, especially aggressive cancer, decreased with increasing blood lycopene levels. Men taking 50mg of lycopene daily had significantly higher level of lycopene. In this study, researchers found that high level of lycopene in the blood was associated with low PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels. High PSA levels in blood are often a sign of prostate cancer.

Enjoy the benefits of lycopene by eating more tomatoes and processed tomato products. Indeed, research showed that lycopene is better absorbed by the body when tomatoes are processed. It is due to the fact that lycopene is bound to tomato's cell structure; processing releases lycopene from the cell structure. resource: http://www.healthcastle.com/lycopene-prostatecancer.shtml


Lycopene Content in Foods (mg/100g)
Tomato Paste 42.2
Spaghetti Sauce 21.9
Chili Sauce 19.5
Tomato Ketchup 15.9
Watermelon 5-11.1
Tomato Juice 9.5
Pink Grapefruit 4.0
Raw Tomato 3.0