Red meds: boost your health with lycopene. (wellness).(tomatos)

They're delicious fresh from the garden, simmered into a sauce or used as the basis for Mom's homemade soup. In fact, tomatoes are among the world's most versatile fruits. But chefs aren't the only ones singing the tomato's praises.

Culinary merits aside, the tomato has been identified by medical researchers as a prime natural source of lycopene, one of the most beneficial antioxidants. A growing body of evidence links lycopene intake with a decreased risk of heart disease; lung, stomach and prostate cancers; and possibly with a decreased risk of cancers of the breast, esophagus, cervix, colon, pancreas, rectum and oral cavity.

awesome antioxidant

A variety of antioxidant systems functions in our bodies to provide defenses against premature aging, diseases such as cancer and heart disease and exposure to harmful toxins. Antioxidants act to neutralize free radicals--the toxic, oxygen-based molecules that cause damage to cells, DNA and proteins. Free radicals occur and are neutralized as the result of normal metabolism. But exposure to excessive environmental and dietary contaminants, drugs and other toxins can deplete our antioxidant stores, leaving us more susceptible to the development of chronic diseases.

Lycopene belongs to a family Of nutrients known as carotenoids--natural plant pigments especially abundant in red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, and in dark green, leafy vegetables. Tomatoes hold the highest natural concentration of lycopene, but the pigment can also be found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, red guava, papaya and apricots, as well as in the skins of red grapes.

cancer combatant

For years, scientists have understood the benefits of lycopene for the prevention of prostate cancer. In the December 1995 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, for example, Edward Giovannucci, MD, and his fellow researchers reported that men eating 10 or more servings (one serving equals about 1/2 cup) of tomato-based foods per week had a 35 percent reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer compared to men who ate less than 1 1/2 weekly servings. Furthermore, men who consumed 6.5 milligrams (mg) per day or more of lycopene showed a 21 percent decrease in risk of prostate cancer.