FIGHTING PROSTATE CANCER WITH TOMATO RICH DIET
Men who eat over 10
portions a week of tomatoes have an 18 per cent lower risk of developing
prostate cancer, new research suggests
With 35,000 new cases
every year in the UK, and around 10,000 deaths, prostate cancer is the second
most common cancer in men worldwide.
Rates are higher in
developed countries, which some experts believe is linked to a Westernised diet
and lifestyle.
To assess if following
dietary and lifestyle recommendations reduces risk of prostate cancer,
researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford looked at the
diets and lifestyle of 1,806 men aged between 50 and 69 with prostate cancer
and compared with 12,005 cancer-free men.
The NIHR-funded study,
published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention, is the first study of its kind to develop a prostate cancer
'dietary index' which consists of dietary components -- selenium, calcium and
foods rich in lycopene -- that have been linked to prostate cancer.
Men who had optimal
intake of these three dietary components had a lower risk of prostate cancer.
Tomatoes and its
products -- such as tomato juice and baked beans -- were shown to be most
beneficial, with an 18 per cent reduction in risk found in men eating over 10
portions a week.
This is thought to be
due to lycopene, an antioxidant which fights off toxins that can cause DNA and
cell damage. Vanessa Er, from the School of Social and Community Medicine at
the University of Bristol and Bristol Nutrition BRU, led the research.
She said: "Our
findings suggest that tomatoes may be important in prostate cancer prevention.
However, further studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings,
especially through human trials. Men should still eat a wide variety of fruits
and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and stay active."
The researchers also
looked at the recommendations on physical activity, diet and body weight for
cancer prevention published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
Only the
recommendation on plant foods -- high intake of fruits, vegetables and dietary
fibre -- was found to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. As
these recommendations are not targeted at prostate cancer prevention,
researchers concluded that adhering to these recommendations is not sufficient
and that additional dietary recommendations should be developed.
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