Health
Tomatoes could help you avoid being fried
TOMATOES could be the new
weapon in the fight against sun
damage, research at the universities
of Newcastle and Manchester
has revealed.
Eating tomato paste could help
protect against sunburn and suninduced
skin ageing.
In the study, researchers compared
the skin of 20 people, half
of whom were given five tablespoons
(55g) of standard tomato
paste with 10g of olive oil every
day, with the other half receiving
just olive oil, over a period of 12
weeks.
The skin was exposed to ultraviolet
(UV) light, which is found
naturally in sunlight, at the beginning
and end of the trial.
The team found significant improvements
in the skin's ability
to protect itself against UV in the
group who had been eating tomato
paste.
Professor Lesley Rhodes, dermatologist
at Manchester University,
said: "The tomato diet
boosted the level of procollagen
in the skin significantly. These
increasing levels suggest potential
reversal of the skin ageing
process. This is in addition to the
significant reduction in sunburn.
"These weren't huge amounts
of tomato. It was the sort of
quantity you would easily manage
if you were eating a lot of
tomato-based meals.
"People should not think that
tomatoes in any way can replace
sun creams, but they may be a
good additive. If you can improve
your protection through your
diet then over several years, this
may have a significant effect."
| "Eating tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun, but it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreens, shade and clothing" | | Prof Mark Birch-Machin, Newcastle University |
|
Many of the harmful effects of
UV light are due to the excess
production of harmful molecules
which can damage important
skin structures. Sun damage
from UV exposure includes premature
wrinkles and skin cancer.
The tomato's key skin saving
property is a powerful antioxidant,
called lycopene, which is
able to neutralise or "quench" the harmful molecules.
Lycopene is the bright red pigment
found in a number of red
fruit and vegetables, but with its
highest levels in cooked tomatoes.
Compared to the control
group, the group who had eaten
the paste were found to have 33
per cent more protection against
sunburn, which can lead to skin
cancer.
Meanwhile, collaborators at
Newcastle University found that
the lycopene had reduced damage
to mitochondrial DNA in the
skin, which is also believed to be
linked with skin ageing.
Professor Mark Birch-Machin,
dermatology scientist from Newcastle
University, said: "Eating
tomatoes will not make you invincible
in the sun, but it may be
a useful addition to sun protection
along with sunscreens,
shade and clothing."
8:43am Tuesday 29th April 2008
Print 
Email this 
Comment
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
