Whole Tomatoes, Not Just Lycopene, May Prevent Prostate Cancer 27652

Whole Tomatoes, Not Just Lycopene, May Prevent Prostate Cancer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.Eating wholetomatoes and whole tomato products rather than lycopene supplements may helpprevent prostate cancer, according to researchers at the University of Illinois.Their placebo-controlled trial was published in the Nov. 5issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (95, 21:1578-86,2003) (www.jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org/jnci).

In the study, 194 male rats were treated with chemicals toinduce prostate cancer and fed diets that contained whole tomato powder (13mg/kg of lycopene), lycopene (beadlet form, 161 mg/kg of lycopene), or controlbeadlets with no added ingredients. Half of the rats in each group were given20-percent fewer calories, and half had no caloric restrictions. Rats fed tomato powder were less likely to die of cancer thanrats fed the lycopene or control diets, according to the study: 62 percent ofthe tomato powder group, 72 percent of the lycopene group and 80 percent of thecontrol group died of prostate cancer. Diet restriction contributed to a14-percent decrease in cancer development when compared to the nonrestricteddiet (65 percent vs. 79 percent, respectively).

One of the study researchers, John Erdman Jr., professor offood science, human nutrition and internal medicine at the University ofIllinois said, It has been unclear whether lycopene itself is protective.This study suggests that lycopene is one factor involved in reducing the risk ofprostate cancer. ... This also suggests that taking lycopene as a dietarysupplement is not as effective as eating whole tomatoes. We believe peopleshould consume whole tomato productsin pastas, in salads, in tomato juice andeven on pizza.

Zohar Nir, Ph.D., vice president of sales and marketing forLycored Industries, supplier of Lyc-O-Mato natural tomatocomplex, said the findings were not surprising. We have said all along thatlycopene by itself, whether natural or synthetic, was not solely responsible forreducing prostate cancer risks, Nir said. This study re-confirmed numerousother findings that have shown the beneficial properties of a natural tomatocomplex containing lycopene plus other necessary tomato phytonutrients: phytoene, phytofluene, natural vitamin E, beta-carotene andphytosterols.

Researchers further concluded, Tomato products containcompounds in addition to lycopene that modify prostate carcinogenesis. ...Tomato phytochemicals and diet restriction may act by independent mechanisms.