Does lycopene reduce the risk of prostate cancer?
Back to article Men who eat plenty of tomato products, especially tomato sauce-laden foods, have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Why? So far, the search for the tomato’s “active ingredient” has homed in on lycopene, the molecule that gives tomatoes their red color. “Lycopene accumulates in the prostate. That’s its favorite place to hang out,” explains Holly Hantz, an undergraduate who is doing research on lycopene’s effects. In one of the few cases of processed foods trumping fresh-picked, research suggests that cooking tomatoes, even briefly, releases the lycopene and makes it easier for the body to absorb.
