LYCOPENE - TOMATOES

LYCOPENE - TOMATOES
Most of us eat tomatoes regularly, and know if positive
role in a healthy, balanced diet. Let's see what "Q" had to say in a
prior posting about LYCOPENE, and sources (other than the tomato) of
gaining this important nutrient.

Per "Q"……
"Lycopene is not really a particular herb. It is a nutrient found in
red vegetables. Lycopene is a phytonutrient .... nutrient besides the
usual vitamins and minerals found in plants. It is usually found in
red fruits and veggies. Lycopene is the natural chemical that gives
tomatoes their red color, can kill mouth cancer cells. Scientist in
Israel were using Lycopene as an "inert control" substance in the
testing of another substance. But when they added Lycopene to the
Petri dish, oral cancer cells started to die.

An increased intake of Lycopene has already been linked to a reduced
risk of breast, prostate, pancreas and colorectal cancer. It may be
one of the factors that make the Mediterranean diet so healthful.

Lycopene is a carotenoid that is good for the prostate. Researchers
have found that Lycopene's antioxidant activity may aid in reversing
the malignant process.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have suggested that
Lycopene in the diet might reduce the risk of heart attacks. Dr Tim
Key, a senior epidemiologist at Imperial Cancer Research Fund, told
BBC News Online: "This study adds to the evidence that Lycopene has
some biological effects which might, in theory, reduce the risk for
cancer."

Lycopene is readily available in foods as tomato sauce and tomato
paste. It is concentrated by cooking tomatoes. (tomato paste) The good
news... cooking does not destroy Lycopene. For proper absorption, the
body also needs some oil along with Lycopene, and so the
recommendation to eat ketchup and pizza is not as absurd as it first
sounds.

Recent studies suggest that women who eat high levels of tomatoes and
processed tomato products--like
ketchup or tomato sauce--are less likely to have breast cancer. The
evidence also suggests that some breast cancer patients had very low
levels of Lycopene. Researchers believe that the processed tomatoes
actually have more Lycopene than fresh tomatoes. WOW!!! An excuse to
eat processed food???

A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute ("Intake of Carotenoids and Retinol in Relation to Risk of
Prostate Cancer") found that men who ate cooked tomato products were
less likely to develop prostate cancer. Researchers found that men who
consumed 10 or more servings of tomato-based foods a week were up to
45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. Cooked tomato
products offered protective benefits, but raw tomatoes and tomato
juice were found to offer little or no protection. The cooking process
breaks down the tomatoes' cell walls and releases more Lycopene.

Apparently the body absorbs the antioxidant more effectively when the
tomatoes have been processed. Get all the tomato paste and ketchup
(catsup) that you can.

Other sources of Lycopene are pink grapefruits, watermelons, and
guavas and of course, Lycopene capsules can be purchased at your local
health food store."

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