Eating Tomatoes Daily Helps Reduce Risk of Kidney Cancer in Older Women: Study

Post-menopausal women who regularly eat tomatoes are less likely to develop kidney cancer, according to a study.

Past clinical trials have proven anti-oxidants in tomatoes called 'lycopene' reduce skin sensitivity to UV lights and damages that result in skin cancer. Recently, experts from the Case Western Reserve University discovered that daily consumption of a lycopene-rich diet can keep renal cancer at bay especially in older women, reports the Live Science.

Their study involved about 92,000 post-menopausal subjects who were surveyed to gauge their overall nutrition intake and eating habits. During the entire trial period of 13 years, 383 women were diagnosed with kidney cancer. It was observed that women who reported eating foods with high lycopene content had 45 percent reduced susceptibility for kidney cancer.

The overall amount of lycopene in the diet was equal to eating four tomatoes every day. But researchers believe the study participants received the chemical compound from other food sources like water melon, grape fruit and papaya.

Lycopene gives a mild reddish color to fruits and vegetables.. It also prevents free radicals from interrupting new bone formation in aged individuals suffering from brittle bone diseases. Tomatoes are an essential part of tropical cuisines and are known for their delicious taste and nutritive qualities. They have high water content and vitamin A, C, K, folate, potassium, magnesium and copper, all of which are necessary for good health.  Tomatoes protect against high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and heart diseases. The current study noted kidney cancers occur due to oxidative stress that can be arrested by the presence of powerful antioxidants like lycopene.

Kidney cancers are the 10th common type of cancer and makes up about 2 percent of all cancer cases in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention. The latest data by the National Cancer Institute reveales that the annual rates of kidney and renal pelvic cancer accounts for nearly 15.5 cases per 100,000 men and women in the U.S. During 2011, around 358,603 Americans were diagnosed with the deadly health condition.

The research was presented at the annual meet of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago.