Tomatoes Cut Prostate Cancer by 20%

Eating 10 portions of tomatoes per week reduces the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 20%, according to a new study.

Rates of prostate cancer are especially high in developed countries, leading some researchers to cite high-fat, westernized diet as a possible factor.
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To better understand the effect of dietary factors on the risk of prostate cancer, researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, and Oxford followed the diet and lifestyles of 1806 men with prostate cancer between 50 and 69 years old, comparing them to 12005 cancer-free men.

They found that those men with higher levels of selenium, calcium, and lycopene had the lowest risk of prostate cancer.

Tomatoes and products containing tomatoes were found to be the most beneficial, accounting for an 20% risk reduction for prostate cancer in men consuming at least 10 portions a week. Researchers attribute these protective qualities the high levels of lycopene found in the fruit. 

Despite studying the effects of overall diet, body weight, and levels of physical activity, only a high intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as dietary fiber, was found to be associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers recommend that despite the findings, men should still strive to maintain a healthy weight and eat a wide variety of healthy foods.

—Michael Potts

Reference

Er V, Lane A, Martin RM, Emmett P, et al. Adherence to dietary and lifestyle recommendations and prostate cancer risk in the Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) trial. 2014 July 13 [epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0322