Bran cereal fiber, as well as vegetables, fruits, and tea have been shown to inhibit the complex processes of initiation and development of these diseases. One aspect involved in initiation and development of both cardiovascular diseases and cancer are abnormal oxidative processes leading to the generation of free radicals. In part, the protective role of vegetables, fruits, and tea is to provide antioxidant vitamins and specific polyphenols that display a powerful inhibition in oxidative reactions. Populations with a regular intake of tomato products, such as in the Mediterranean region, have a lower incidence of these chronic diseases noted. This article looked at the varied mechanisms of action of tomato products in general, and one of the active principles, lycopene.
Cooking is a factor in releasing the desirable antioxidants from tomatoes.
Cooked tomato products allow absorption of the active principles and are preferable to the raw vegetable or juices derived from tomatoes. Optimally, absorption of lycopene, a highly fat-soluble chemical, is improved in the presence of a small, but essential amount of oil or fat. A diet history questionnaire was administered to 384 patients 45 years old or older with prostate cancer, including 142 with advanced and 242 with local stages I and II disease. Cases in the highest quartile of saturated fat consumption had a statistically significant odds ratio. In addition, the relation increased proportionally and significantly with saturated fat intake.