The tomato, an anti-cancer food? In any case, this is what several scientific studies carried out on this fruit vegetable, a real star of vegetable gardens, suggest.

Tomato: its lycopene content reduces the risk of cancer

The main advantage of the tomato? Its content lycopene, a powerful antioxidant from the carotene family, whose ability to reduce the incidence of many cancers has already been proven. “British researchers, for example, have observed that eating two tomatoes a day decreases by 20 % the risk of prostate cancer in men ”, illustrates the famous doctor. Another study, conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and published in 2002 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has also shown that frequent consumption of tomatoes and tomato products (such as sauce), rich in lycopene, is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Cooked tomatoes, more effective against cancer than raw

The nutritionist specifies that, to benefit from the anti-cancer virtues of tomatoes, they should rather be tasted cooked. Indeed, when they are raw, “their lycopene remains trapped inside plant cells, whose walls are tough,” he explains. But “just 30 minutes cooking so that it is released from the cells, turns into an active molecule and is more assimilated by the body ”.

Do not hesitate to vary the pleasures by declining the tomato in all its forms: in sauce, stuffed, stewed, Provencal style … You can also cook it with olive oil, pillar of the Mediterranean diet, which contains many antioxidants and helps to regulate the cholesterol. In addition to its multiple virtues, this fatty substance facilitates the passage of lycopene in the body, from the intestines. Preferably use olive oil extra virgin, not having undergone any thermal or chemical treatment.

What about canned tomatoes or ketchup?

Dr Cohen specifies that “the concentrated of tomato contains sixteen times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes consumed in salads ”. Cooked tomatoes or canned sauces also contain a good amount of this antioxidant. On the other hand, do not abuse the ketchup, which contains almost as much sugar as tomato – with sugar often being the second or third ingredient listed on the label. The doctor does not recommend to ban this food, but simply to consume it in moderation. Finally, note that, if the tomato is the food richest in lycopene, others also contain it, such as watermelon, red fruits, or grapefruit. Fruits that are easy to integrate as part of a balanced diet, preferably respecting their seasonality. In summer, you can also make jars of cooked tomatoes, to continue to enjoy their benefits during the winter.