Eat Your Tomatoes!

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 17, 1999 / 9:05 AM EST / CBS

For those of you who consider ketchup one of the primary food groups, here's good news. New research shows eating lots of tomatoes and tomato-based foods may help prevent some forms of cancer. CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Kaledin reports.

Have another helping of tomatoes. Not only will it not hurt, researchers say it may help in reducing the risk of a wide variety of cancers.

Dr. Steven Clinton is with the Cancer Prevention Program at Ohio State University:

"The cancers where the relationship is most strong include prostate cancer and several of those which involve our gastrointestinal track, including those of the stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum."

All the research ever done on tomatoes has been analyzed and will be published in Thursday's Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Even doctors were impressed by what they found. Out of 72 studies, 57 showed a link between tomato intake and a decreased risk for cancer - 35 of those showed a "significant" link.

The secret ingredient, scientists say, is a compound called lycopene, which also gives the tomato its color.

Dr. Clinton explains, "It has certain properties, including anti-oxidant properties, that may have a role in cancer prevention."

The beauty of the tomato is that it comes in so many forms that even the fussiest eaters enjoy eating them - pizza, pasta, ketchup and salsa. No matter how it's cooked, doctors say, the health benefits stay the same.

Now, says Dr. Clinton, "once we get people sold on the tomato approach, we'll have to work on the broccoli."

To reap the benefits, doctors recommend you eat tomatoes every day, but they are quick to add there are no miracle foods, and a well-balanced diet is the secret to good health.