Health researchers have declared that the tomato, which is widely used as an ingredient to make sauces, juices and add flavour and colour to foods, also contains a vital antioxidant that can help in the fight against cancer.

A plant chemical found in tomatoes, lycopene, is emerging as another key player in fight against prostate cancer. Lycopene, which gives the tomato its red color, is an antioxident that helps to prevent cell damage and repair damaged cells. It is found in other rosy foods, including guava, watermelon, and pink grapefruit, but tomato products are the most concentrated source.
Research has found that some men develop cancer of the digestive tract and prostate at significantly lower rates than average, findings likely attribute to the amount of tomato in their diet. Additionally, a Harvard study of 48,000 men identified the tomato with its high concentration of lycopene as the only food linked to significantly lower rates of prostate cancer. Other research suggests that lycopine may even help prevent heart disease, macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness), and lung, breast, and cervical cancers.

The human body absorbs lycopene most readily from cooked tomatoes, so tomato sauce, ketchup, and other foods containing processed tomatoes are particularly effective sources. Adding a touch of fat to cooked tomatoes also helps as the body absorbs five times as much lycopene from tomato sauce cooked with a bit of olive oil, for example, than it does from an equal serving to raw tomatoes.
Scientists have yet to pinpoint how much lycopene we should eat. But research suggests, however, that men who consume ten servings of tomato each week have the lowest risk of prostate cancer (a serving equaling six ounces of tomato juice or 1/2 cup of source). So the next time you have an opinion to your meal being served with tomato sauce, just say yes! Knowing that it no longer just adds to the flavour, but also to your health.