Tomato paste is the cooked pulp of the tomato minus the skin, seeds and stems. While tomatoes provide many nutrients, one of their most beneficial components is a red carotenoid called lycopene. Tomato paste has four times more lycopene in a form usable by the body than raw tomatoes. Lycopene is not produced by the body, so tomato paste and tomato products play an important role in a healthy diet.
Prostate Cancer
Lycopene is an antioxidant that might help prevent certain cancers. A 1995 Harvard University medical study found that the risk of getting prostate cancer went down by 45 percent when men ate 10 servings per week of tomatoes or tomato-based foods. Four to seven servings lowered the risk of prostate cancer to 20 percent, which is still a significant amount. Cooking these tomato-based products breaks down cellular walls to release lycopene.
Antioxidant
Lycopene's role as an antioxidant might play an important role in preventing oxidative stress that might cause cells to mutate into cancerous cells and multiply. A 2006 review of clinical trials published in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" suggests that while the presence of lycopene in the diet is beneficial, it might be acting in conjunction with other antioxidants, and that more research is needed.
Skin Protection
Lycopene might also play a significant role in preventing skin damage from sunburn that can lead to skin cancer. A study published in the "British Journal of Dermatology" determined that the lycopene in tomato paste protects the skin from ultraviolet acute and long-term damage that can lead to oxidative stress and the proliferation of skin cancer cells. Women who ate tomato paste in olive oil for 12 weeks showed significantly less damage after having been exposed to ultraviolet light than counterparts who only consumed olive oil.
Lower Cholesterol
A 2010 study conducted by the British Association of Dermatologists indicates that lycopene lowered LDL cholesterol by about 10 percent when more than 25 g of lycopene were ingested on a daily basis. It also determined that lycopene's action was similar to that of a low dosage of statins in a person with slightly elevated cholesterol levels. The study's conclusion also indicated that more research is needed to verify the benefits of lycopene on blood serum cholesterol.
References
- Ben Best: Phytochemicals as Nutraceuticals
- Cell Health Makeover: Lycopene Nutrition
- Harvard Health Publications: Preventing Prostate Cancer and Diet
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; "Tomatoes Vs. Lycopene in Oxidative Stress and Carcinogenesis: Conclusions From Clinical Trials"; A. Basu et al; 2006
- "British Journal of Dermatology"; "Tomato Paste Rich in Lycopene Protects Against Cutaneous Photodamage in Humans in Vivo"; M. Rizwan et al; 2010
- "Maturitas"; "Protective Effect of Lycopene on Serum Cholesterol and Blood Pressure: Meta-Analyses of Intervention Trials"; K. Ried et al; April 2011
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