Men Should Eat Their Reds and Greens
by David Rose

· Tomato - broccoli diet 'helps prostate'
· Combination may curb cancer

Eating tomatoes and broccoli in the same meal could help men to fight prostate cancer.

A study suggests that when they are both present in a regular diet, the two foods - known for their cancer-fighting qualities - help to reduce tumours more effectively than when they are eaten separately.

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in Britain, accounting for almost one in four cancers in men. Each year about 32,000 cases are diagnosed and more than 10,000 men die from it.

Researchers from the University of Illinois believe that different compounds in the vegetables can work together to attack cancer cells along different biological pathways. They suggest that men should regularly consume servings of up to three quarters of a head of raw broccoli and two to three tomatoes to help fight the disease.

John Erdman, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the university, said that men should consider consuming three to five such servings a week. "Studies have shown that men who regularly eat servings of fresh tomatoes have up to a 40 per cent reduced risk of developing prostate cancer, while the sulphur compounds in broccoli are known to be a mechanism that delays cancer growth. They are quite different agents, and do not have to be eaten together, but their effects seem to be very complementary."

In a study published in the American journal Cancer Research, the scientists fed a diet containing 10 per cent tomato powder and 10 per cent broccoli powder to rats implanted with prostate cancer cells.

Other rats received either tomato or broccoli powder alone; or lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes thought to be an effective cancer-preventive agent; or finasteride, a drug prescribed for men with enlarged prostates. Another group was castrated. After 22 weeks, the rats given tomato and broccoli in combination were found to have smaller tumours.

Professor Erdman said: "When eaten together, we see an additive effect. Cooked tomatoes may be better than raw tomatoes. The is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables prepared in a variety of ways."

Julie Sharp, of Cancer Research UK, said that effects on humans were still unclear. "We do know that a balanced diet can help to reduce the risk of cancer and should include fresh vegetables and fruit."
The Times on Line, 16th January 2007