Spaghetti For Dinner

Did you know...

Eating tomato sauce twice a week could reduce the risk of men developing prostate cancer by up to a third, according to new research.

American experts, who carried out one of the biggest studies into the benefits of a tomato-rich diet involving almost 50,000 men, are urging males to eat more tomatobased products.

Although previous studies have found that tomato sauce has health benefits, this is the first to suggest that even small, regular doses can protect against the cancer that affects one in 12 men.

The secret lies in lycopene - an antioxidant in the skin of tomatoes - which makes them red.

Scientists already suspect that lycopene is packed with diseasefighting properties and that it is easier for the body to absorb it in the form of ketchup rather than raw tomatoes.

Dr Edward Giovannucci, a nutrition expert at Harvard Medical School who led the 12-year study, said ketchup is an ideal source of lycopene because it carries high concentrations of the compound due to the thermal processing used in its manufacture.

'Tomato sauce captures most of the lycopene,' said Dr Giovannucci. 'We suggest that increased consumption of tomatoes and tomato-based products may be prudent.'

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the UK, with more than 21,700 new cases annually. Because it is slow-growing, many men are unaware they have it until they develop symptoms such as difficulty urinating or pain in the back, hips or pelvis.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-108501/Tomato-sauce-cut-risk-prostate-cancer-third.html#ixzz24sR4WIA0