Scientists
are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to
reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti
oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color,
helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are
unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer
and other serious diseases.
Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in
Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials
says, ' In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti
oxidant that helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the
'bad' cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build
up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries
and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was
added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their
growth. Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant
found to date.
Another study compared men who had had a heart attack with
the same number of healthy men and found that those with
high levels of lycopene appeared to reduce their risk of
heart diseases by 50%. The study’s coordinator, Lenore
Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the
university of North Carolina, said, 'Based on our findings,
and other research, lycopene can be an excellent
antioxidant, we recommend that people eat tomato based
cooked foods.'
Several recent studies have shown that a diet rich in
tomatoes and tomato products is strongly linked to a reduced
risk of certain cancers. In a six year study of 48,000 male
professionals, Dr Edward Giovannucci and colleagues at
Harvard Medical School found that consuming tomatoes and
tomato based products between five to seven serving a week
was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of 21%
to 34%.
Another study published in the International Journal of
Cancer said that lycopene appears to protect against cancer
of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum.
Researchers at the University of Illinois report that women
with the highest lycopene levels had a five fold lower risk
of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than
women with lowest lycopene levels.
The human body does not produce lycopene alone and therefore
relies on a consumption of tomatoes and tomato based
products for this anti oxidant. Nutritionists and other
health professionals have long advocated the cancer
preventative benefits of a diet high in fruits and
vegetables.
Lycopene: Just The Facts
Research by Dr. Joseph Levy and colleagues from Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, may have
identified the unique mechanism through which lycopene
protects against cancer which is by activating
cancer-preventive phase II enzymes.
Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that
imparts red color to tomatoes.
Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of
certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.
In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs,
prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body
tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.
Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of
lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with
the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example,
habitual intake of tomato products has been found to
decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among
Italians.
In one six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard
School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men
were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only
the tomato products (which contain large quantities of
lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce
prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products
increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and
the risk for prostate cancer decreased. The study also
showed that the heat processing of tomatoes and tomato
products increases Lycopene bioavailability.
Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk
of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and
cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.
