ONE TOMATO, TWO TOMATOES

The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system and it is located around the neck of the urinary bladder. Cancer of the prostate has high prevalence in USA with much lower figures among Asians. this variation may be because of genetic factors or dietary differences.

A recent research has revealed that tomatos have a protective effect against prostate cancer. Tomatos contain lycopene, a minor nutrient and antioxident, found in high quantities and Ketosamines FruHis. Ketosamines are non-digestibe carbohydrate derivatives formed during dehydrationol tomatos. The research results were reported in a issue of Journal of Cancer Research. The research team lead by Mossine worked on rats divided into two groups of 20 each. One group received a controlled diet whereas the other got tomato paste, tomato powder or tomato paste with additional FruHis. Prostate cancer causing chemicals were then injected into the animals. The animals fed on FruHis and tomato paste survived for 51 weeks compared to the control group who lived for 40 weeks.

Post-mortem examination revealed cancerous tumours of the prostate in only 10 per cent of the FruHis and 60 per cent of the control group. Laboratory studies showed FruHis group to have a protective effect against DNA damage. FruHis caused more than 98 per cent inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth compared to a single agent.