Tomatoes Aren't Just For Cancer Prevention in Men

So now I've heard everything.  Stay lean and fit to avoid breast cancer.  Take statins if your cholesterol is high.  Now, eat plenty of tomatoes if you want to stave it off.

 A new study has found that a tomato-rich diet may help protect at-risk postmenopausal women from breast cancer, according to newswise.com.  And I thought tomatoes were only good for the prostate!

 "Breast cancer risk rises in postmenopausal women as their body mass index climbs," the Web site notes. "The study found eating a diet high in tomatoes had a positive effect on the level of hormones that play a role in regulating fat and sugar metabolism."

 “Eating fruits and vegetables, which are rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals such as lycopene, conveys significant benefits," newswise quotes the study’s first author, Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH, who is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Rutgers University, who completed the research while she was a postdoctoral fellow with Electra Paskett, PhD, at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.. "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.”
When they followed the tomato-rich diet, participants’ levels of adiponectin – a hormone involved in regulating blood sugar and fat levels – climbed 9 percent. The effect was slightly stronger in women who had a lower body mass index.
“The findings demonstrate the importance of obesity prevention,” Llanos tells newswise. “Consuming a diet rich in tomatoes had a larger impact on hormone levels in women who maintained a healthy weight.”

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