Tomatoes and prostate health

✍ Scribed by John C. Stanley

• Book ID: 102468284
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 281 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0956-666X
• DOI: 10.1002/lite.200800011

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and benign prostate hyperplasia is an increasingly common condition. There is evidence that the consumption of tomatoes and tomato based foods is associated with a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. While the effects of tomatoes and tomato based foods are frequently explained in terms of their lycopene content other components of tomatoes may play a role. A recent highly critical review of the evidence by the FDA concluded that there was no credible evidence linking lycopene consumption to prostate cancer risk and only limited evidence linking tomato consumption to prostate cancer risk. However, the ability of the prostate to concentrate lycopene suggests a special relationship between the health of this tissue and tomato consumption. More research is needed in this area particularly on benign prostate hyperplasia.