Eating Tomatoes may Help Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Just like the apple, one of our favorite red fruits is hitting the news: the Tomato. But why?

Well, first off, they're that extra ingredient in so many of our favorite dishes: Pasta sauce, ketchup, that special flavor that makes a sandwich so special, etc. 

But there's more to this round, squishy food than meets the eye. According to a recent study, researchers from Rutgers University found that maintaining a diet rich in tomatoes can help reduce your risk for breast cancer--especially as women age. Lycopene, a hormone that regulates both fat and sugar metabolism, was also found to interact positively with a diet high in tomatoes.

For their study, researchers examined a tomato-rich diet's affect on the body, and how it helped reduce breast cancer in 70 postmenopasual women. A soy-rich diet was also studied, as part of the research.

Particpants were asked to eat tomato products containing at least 25 milligrams of lycopene daily for a period of 10 weeks. For another 10 weeks, the same group was told to eat at least 40 grams of soy protein daily.

Adiponectin levels, a glucose-regulating hormone that is known to  influence the risk of breast cancer, was then measured in each study-participant. Resutls showed that regular consumption of lycopene that's found in tomatoes increased the levels of adiponectin while the soy-rich diet reduced these levels.

"The advantages of eating plenty of tomatoes and tomato-based products, even for a short period, were clearly evident in our findings," said lead study author, Adana Llanos, an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Rutgers University, via a press release.  "Eating fruits and vegetables, which are rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals such as lycopene, conveys significant benefits."

"Based on this data, we believe regular consumption of at least the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables would promote breast cancer prevention in an at-risk population," Llanos added."The findings demonstrate the importance of obesity prevention. Consuming a diet rich in tomatoes had a larger impact on hormone levels in women who maintained a healthy weight."

According to the National Institutes of Health, it's estimated that one in every eight women in the United States will be affected by breast cancer in her lifetime. Though the cause of breast cancer at this time is still relatively unknown, taking preventitive measures can help to slow the progression of this health issue.

More information regarding the study can be found via The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.