Most people know that vegetables and fruits are good for us and should be part of our daily diet. But most people don’t know that tomatoes, in particular, can significantly help in the prevention of prostate cancer.

Tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is found in ample amounts in tomatoes, and only trace amounts can be found in certain other fruits and vegetables. Lycopene, like vitamins A,C,E and others, is a powerful antioxidant capable neutralising free radicals that cause cell damage, aging and disease.

It is not known exactly why lycopene helps to prevent prostate cancer, but it’s believed that it works with the immune system to somehow slow down or stop the process that leads to cancer developing in the prostate organ.

Dr Edward Giovannucci of Harvard Medical School and a team of Researchers conducted a study of the dietary intake of 48,000 males. Over a six-year period, they found that the men who ate tomatoes (at least 10 servings per week), had up to a 40% reduced risk of prostate cancer, compared to those who didn’t eat tomatoes.

That means regular male tomato-eaters have a significantly decreased risk of developing prostate cancer! However, lycopene, found mainly in tomatoes, is only absorbed with fats and oils, so there must be some form of fat in the recipe or meal to ensure maximum absorption of lycopene by the body.

Also, Dr Giovannucci said that cooked tomatoes seemed more effective than tomato juice or even eating raw tomatoes. So cooking tomatoes with a quality cooking oil, such as olive oil, may be the best way to reap the cancer-fighting benefits from tomatoes.

Interestingly, it was also found from the study that tomato-based products, as well as tomatoes, proved to be effective as well.

Read more about the study here.