A Harvard expert has highlighted the lesser-known benefits of a common fruit that could aid in the battle against cancer. Katherine D. McManus, an affiliate teacher at Harvard Medical School in Boston, shared her knowledge in a previous blog post, offering various ‘superfood’ recipes to incorporate into your daily diet.
While there’s no specific definition for superfoods, they are generally rich in vitamins and minerals. Foods such as nuts, leafy greens, yoghurt and even olive oil are among those recommended by Katherine, but one particular food was singled out for its potential in preventing prostate cancer.
“Tomatoes,” Katherine wrote in 2022. “These are high in vitamin C and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer… Try tomatoes in a salad or as a tomato sauce over your pasta. You can also put them in stews, soup
Katherine is not alone in her views. In 2014, the University of Bristol suggested that men who consumed more than 10 portions of tomatoes per week had an 18% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
This remarkable effect is thought to be due to ‘lycopene’, an antioxidant known to protect DNA, lipids, and proteins from damage. Furthermore, cooking tomatoes may enhance this protection even further, according to Helen Bell, a nutritionist at Help & Advice.
Speaking to the Mirror: “There is evidence suggesting that tomatoes might lower prostate cancer risk, largely due to lycopene. This antioxidant is thought to reduce inflammation and prevent cancer cell growth. When I’ve looked into it, cooking tomatoes seems to increase lycopene availability, so enjoying them in sauces or soups might be particularly beneficial.”
Despite this, it’s important to stress that research is still ongoing. Five years ago, one World Cancer Research Fund study found ‘no significant association between prostate cancer and consumption of raw tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato sauce and tomato-based vegetable juice’.
Yet, the study did reveal that men who consumed canned and cooked tomatoes around five or six times per week had a 28% reduced risk of prostate cancer compared to those who didn’t. Helen continued: I think the term ‘superfood’ is often thrown around, but it generally refers to foods with high nutrient content.
“However, in my view, no single food can guarantee health, and a varied diet is crucial. ‘Superfoods’ can be part of a healthy diet, but balance, as usual, is essential.”
You can buy a pack of six tomatoes for as little as 99p at Tesco. Loose tomatoes are also available in different shapes and sizes at various other supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s for £1.75 each and 89p at Morrisons.
NHS’ list of potential prostate cancer symptoms
- Increased need to pee
- Straining while urinating
- Feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied
The healthy body’s advice adds: “These symptoms should not be ignored, but they do not mean you have prostate cancer. It’s more likely they’re caused by something else, such as prostate enlargement.
“There’s no single test for prostate cancer. All the tests used to help diagnose the condition have benefits and risks that your doctor should discuss with you.”