InfoHatter.com

Tomato Juice, as we all know, is a juice made from squeezed tomatoes. For alot of us, it is a delicious beverage which we regularily encounter at weddings, and other special occasions. We may encounter it in such drinks as the Bloody Mary. It is also the official beverage of the State of Ohio.

Tomato Juice has many health benefits. Besides the high levels of Vitamin C which are found in all tomato products, tomato juice also contains an antioxidant called lycopene.

Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment, phound in tomatoes and a variety of other red fruit. Lycopene is good for us in many ways. For example, lycopene has been linked to reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer (especially prostrate cancer), osteoperosis, and possibly male infertility.

In recent research, Dutch scientists found a low dosage of synthetic lycopene caused the growth rate of human prostrate tumours implanted in mice to slow by over 50% within 42 days of the study, compared to a control group of mice who never took such treatment. When the lycopene was combined with vitamin E, tumour growth raite was reduced by up to 73%.

While the research performed does not allow the medical community to say with complete certainty that lycopene intake is a definate factor in the risk of prostrate cancers, there appears to be a strong link between the two.

Because of this link, it is suggested that men should definately make a point of maintaining a healthy diet, with high levels of lycopene and vitamin E.

Lycopene occurs naturally in all kinds of processed tomato products, papyas, pink grapefruit and watermelon, wheat germs, whole grains, mangoes, leafy green vegetables, nuts and olive oils. The bioavailability (amount our bodies can digest) of lycopene is enhanced with food processing. Due to it's nature, lycopene binds tightly with vegetable fibers, and becomes easier to take in after a process such as canning and crushing tomatoes.

Tomato juice every morning may be alot better for you than you ever would have thought. Early research is beginning to show that it can help with a variety of health problems, especially prostrate cancer.

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3703396.stm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=14249