Tomatoes Can Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer

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Category: Build Your Immunities

Created on Tuesday, 22 December 2020 13:59

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Cooked tomatoes may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Health.

“Tomato Consumption and Intake of Lycopene as Predicators of the Incidence of Prostate Cancer: The Adventist Health Study-2,” published in February 2020 by Cancer Causes and Control found that men consuming canned and cooked tomatoes five to six times per week had a 28% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with men who never consumed this food.

Gary Fraser, MBChB, PhD, said the effect was still significant even after adjusting for a number of potential confounders, including ethnicity, education, obesity, exercise levels, alcohol consumption and others.

“Interestingly, the decreased risk was only seen in those men who ate canned and cooked tomatoes,” Fraser said.

To examine how tomato consumption might impact the development of prostate cancer, the researchers looked for significant relationships between diet and prostate cancer in nearly 28,000 Adventist men in the U.S.

While all tomatoes and tomato-based products contain lycopene, studies have shown that lycopene is absorbed at different rates depending on the product consumed.  Lycopene bioavailability is higher when tomatoes have been heated or cooked, and especially if cooked with oil.  Processing tomatoes in this way contributes to the separation of the lycopene from the carrier proteins.

Researchers will continue to look at various tomato products and their potential to reduce prostate cancer risk.  Fraser added, “Men concerned about developing prostate cancer could consider adding cooked and canned tomatoes to their diet on a regular basis.

The Adventist Health study is funded in part through the generosity of the Ardmore Institute of Health

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