Tomato special: the red medicine

Lycopene it is called and it gives the tomato its red color. This natural pigment is also found inside other red fruits. The more red, the more lycopene. Lycopene is also used to color foods. Then the additive is called E160d in Europe. Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxidant. An anti-oxidant is a molecule that quickly neutralizes damage to our DNA caused by faulty cell division. Faulty cell division can in some instances cause cancer, especially prostrate cancer.

Researchers at Harvard University investigated the eating habits of 50.000 men for 12 years. Their conclusion was that tomato eaters had 16 percent less chance if prostate cancer than non tomato eaters. But then they shouldn’t eat just raw tomatoes. Because lycopene is better absorbed by the body in boiled form, like in soups, juices and sauces.

The colorful anti-oxidant does not disappear from the body easily. Someone who uses a few liters of tomato juice per day over an extended period, can literally color red.

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