By Vanessa Richins

New research from the universities of Manchester and Newcastle suggests there may be a new title to be awarded to tomatoes: Wrinkle and Skin Cancer Fighter.

In their study, subjects were given 5 tablespoons of tomato paste daily, along with 10 grams of olive oil. The control group was only given the olive oil. At the finish of the three month study, researchers took skin samples from the volunteers.

The results showed that the tomato eating group had developed 33% more protection from UV rays than the control group. They also had more procollagen, which creates skin structure and Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

Super tomatoes have arrived.

British supermarket chain Tesco claims that its “Healthy Living Tomato on the Vine” has up to twice the level of lycopene as an ordinary vine-ripened tomato.

Lycopene, which is what makes tomatoes red, is nature’s most powerful antioxidant; studies have shown that increased lycopene consumption can lead to decreased risks of heart disease as well as certain types of cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal.

Lycopene may also lower the amount Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

By polling a panel of experts, the popular Internet source of medical information, WebMD has compiled a list of the six healthiest foods women can eat, which they have termed “Super Foods.”

And tomatoes come in as Super Food #4.

Tomatoes, along with watermelon, grapefruit, and red navel oranges, are praised for providing lycopene, which aside from possibly protecting against prostate cancer in men, also has health benefits for women.

According to NYU Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

A study conducted by teams at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and Ohio State University in Columbus used rats to test whether lycopene supplements could provide the same health benefits as tomatoes themselves—and the resounding answer was no.

In the study, 194 male rats were given a chemical that induces prostate cancer. Some rats were given whole tomato powder, some pure lycopene, and the others no supplements
Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

You may have noticed that many ketchup bottles proudly display that they contain lots of lycopene.

But what does that mean?

Lycopene is nature’s most powerful nutritional antioxidant, which means that it reduces the amount of damage done to body cells by oxygen—damage that can eventually lead to cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses.

Lycopene is also what gives tomatoes (and watermelons and strawberries) their rich red color.

Read the rest of this entry »