Tomatoes
I COULD GO ON AND ON about my love affair with tomatoes. Last year we planted over 16 varieties (there are actually over 4,000 different varieties). Of course, during the peak harvesting season, I will eat a tomato sandwich with mayo, salt, and pepper for all three meals of the day.
All tomatoes are a good source of vitamins A and C. Red tomatoes have high levels of the anti-oxidant lycopene which may help protect against certain types of cancer. The lycopene is more readily absorbed by the body once the tomatoes have been cooked.
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Who was it that said there are “lies, damn lies, and statistics”? With that being said, numbers can be a powerful motivator and we as humans often need strong evidence to take action to eat healthy. A LARGE Harvard study followed 79,000 men over twenty years who consumed cooked tomatoes 2-3 times a week. This study revealed that the men who ate cooked tomatoes had up to a 50% reduction in their chance of developing prostate cancer. Are you familiar with http://www.TED.org? If you aren’t, then you should take some time each week to watch of couple of videos from there. This organization showcases the most brilliant scientists, researchers, and inventors in the areas of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (hence TED is derived)
Here is a link to a video that reveals how diet may be used to control angiogenesis http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_li.html (it is from this video that the above study was quoted). Often people will say a food “may prevent cancer” but this video goes a step further to show how the body interacts with certain foods and possibly create anti-angiogenic effects. I find that if I understand the “why” then it is easier to appreciate fresh foods.