The tomato is a native American, cultivated by Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D. Europeans first encountered the tomato when the Conquistadors reached Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. Tomato seeds were brought back to Europe where they found favor in the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Portugal and Italy. 

 Tomatoes are packed with nutrients including vitamin C, dietary fiber, copper and iron. But the most intriguing tomato research involves lycopene, the pigment that gives the tomato its rich red hue. Several studies have shown that lycopene helps reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

In the December 1995 issue, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an extensive study conducted by Harvard University researchers which showed an association between consuming a diet rich in tomato-based foods and a decreased risk of prostate cancer. 

The researchers surveyed the eating habits of over 47,000 men between the ages of 40-75 for six years and found that the consumption of tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice and pizza was associated with a reduced risk for developing prostate cancer. Researchers think that lycopene may be responsible for this possible protective effect.

At the University of Illinois in Chicago, 32 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients were fed three-fourths cup of tomato sauce daily for three weeks. In addition to causing significant reductions in DNA damage to prostate cancer cells and leukocytes (white blood cells), the treatment resulted in reduced blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein whose increased levels are strongly linked to a higher prostate cancer risk, according to the researchers. Again, lycopene was seen as the most likely contributing factor.

Tomatoes contain more lycopene than any other commonly consumed food, but tomato products vary in lycopene content. Tomatoes cooked in oil, such as tomato sauce, are believed to have the highest benefit, as cooking breaks down cell walls to release more lycopene, while oil is thought to enhance the absorption of the fat-soluble chemical.

Cooking tomatoes in oil encourages intestinal absorption and results in a two-to-threefold rise in plasma lypocene concentrations, said Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard University School of Public Health. Tomato sauce is one of the best lypocene sources.

 Even if you are among the 50 percent of the population which does not have a prostate, the tomato is still a valuable cancer preventative. A study conducted in Italy showed that consuming seven or more servings of tomatoes a week reduced the risk of developing colon, rectal and stomach cancer by sixty percent. Other studies link tomatoes with a reduced occurrence of breast cancer.

Lycopene also reduces the amount of oxidized low-density lipoprotein ­ the so-called bad cholesterol ­ and therefore may reduce the risk of heart disease.

 There is even some evidence that tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against age-related macular degeneration, a common condition that can cause blindness.

Unfortunately, for those of you who are not tomato aficionados, studies have found that taking purified lycopene as a dietary supplement doesn't work. 

"When you just take lycopene as a drug it doesn't have the same effect," said Randy Woodson, director of Agricultural Research Programs at Purdue University. "There is still a lot of biology to understand before we know why phytonutrients in food are so much more effective than if they are given as supplements."

So this May, we will just have to make do with ketchup, pizza, pasta sauce and salsa. 

Sources: 

 American Chemical Society
 

 California Tomato Commission 

Giovannucci, Edward et al., Intake of Carotenoids and Retinol in Relation to Risk of Prostrate Cancer, Journal of the National Cancer Miracle Nutrient That Can Prevent Aging,  Heart Disease and Cancer, Advanced Research Press, Inc. 1999. Hauppauge, N.Y.

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. 

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