For some time now, we have been hearing about the benefits of tomato products for men’s health. Many of us have even heard of the term “lycopene.” An article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, confirms that tomatoes lessen the risk of prostate cancer.
Lycopenes are an anti-oxidant with potent cancer-fighting abilities. They are found in many foods, but they are found in the highest concentration in tomatoes, tomato sauces, watermelons, and grapefruit. This particular study even monitored the consumption of salsa and pizza, because these two food groups contain tomato products. After six years, the study said that “consuming tomato sauces, which are considered the best source of bioavailable lycopenes, more than twice per week, reduced the odds for prostate cancer by 23%.” It also mentioned that a higher intake of lycopenes from all foods was also associated with a significant reduction in prostate cancer risk.
These types of research studies take years to follow, because you have to question thousands of subjects on what their diet contains, and then follow up with them for a long period of time to determine the correlation. This particular study followed 47,365 men and used diet questionnaires to determine the correlations. The idea for this study came from a previous study that lasted six years, and showed a high correlation for decreased prostate cancer risks among men with more Mediterranean diets.
This is good news for any man who enjoys tomato sauces. Everything from tomato soup, to marinara sauce, to salsa seems to contain a good helping of anti-oxidant rich lycopenes. These products are also good ways to get our daily intake of fruits and vegetables. As an interesting side note, I found it amusing to note that the author of this research article has a very influential last name: “Giovannucci.” Who better to report on the benefits of tomato products, than a full-blooded Italian.