14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new scientific investigation carried out by experts at the University of Portsmouth, it would appear that a certain nutrient found in tomatoes can slow down the growth of prostate cancer cells, or even destroy the tumors entirely.
The compound only acts when the tomatoes are cooked, but the discovery highlights a new, possible way of fighting against this dangerous condition. Team leader Dr. Mridula Chopra says that the chemical acts on a mechanism tumors use to take control of the body's blood supply.
Cancer cells tend to hijack portions of the circulatory system, expand them, and use the extra blood to fuel their rapid growth. This is why many cancer therapies are directed towards constricting these blood vessels, essentially starving them to death.
Investigators determined that cancer cells naturally have the ability to reach out towards blood vessels, in order to connect with them and create the supply networks. The chemical that gives tomatoes their red color, a substance called lycopene, was found to interfere with that ability.
According to Dr. Chopra, the amount of lycopene that needs to be inserted in the body in order for the protective effect to occur is easily achieved by eating processed tomatoes in normal quantities. No special, tomato-rich diets are required, she emphasized.
All investigators who contributed to this research are based at the University of Portsmouth's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences. Details of their work appear in the latest issue of the esteemed British Journal of Nutrition, AlphaGalileo reports.
“I stress that our tests were done in test tubes in a laboratory and more testing needs to be carried out to confirm our findings, but the laboratory evidence we have found is clear,” Dr. Chopra explains.
“It is possible to intercept the simple mechanism some cancer cells use to grow at concentrations that can be achieved by eating sufficient cooked tomatoes,” she goes on to say. The chemical lycopene can be found in many red vegetables and fruits, but has a very high concentration in tomatoes.
The team explains that – if the new work turns out to yield an effective therapy against cancer – then smokers will most likely have to consume a lot more processed tomatoes than non-smokers. This is due to the high oxidative stress that nicotine places on the body.