Tomato Based Products

Consuming foods rich in certain cancer-fighting substances called phytochemicals may reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer, as well as other cancers. Phytochemicals are micronutrients in plant foods that protect plants against stresses, such as sunlight and disease, and they also are believed to protect against the formation of tumors. One phytochemical in particular has shown the most promise in relation to prostate cancer. It is called lycopene, and it is found in tomatoes and tomato-based products, such as pizza sauce. This is why tomato-based foods appear to play an important role in the prevention of prostate cancer.

Lycopene is a carotenoid, like the more commonly known beta carotene. It is what gives tomatoes their red color. Other carotenoids give color to other vegetables. As a group, carotenoids are known for their cancer fighting ability because they are strong antioxidants, which are natural substances in foods that seem to be able to block the process of cancer from occurring. Lycopene is the most efficient antioxidant of the carotenoids, and it is the principal carotenoid in the blood as well as various tissues, especially the prostate. Tomato-based foods provide nearly all the lycopene in the American diet.

Lycopene seems to be most effective when tomatoes are cooked and served in conjunction with some fat. This is why foods with tomato sauce, such as pizza or spaghetti, seem to be the best sources of lycopene.