Having tomatoes and broccoli in your diet is the most effective way of fighting prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by American researchers.
Researchers at the University of Illinois conducted the study on two groups of mice, which were implanted with prostate cancer cells. One group was given a diet containing 10 percent broccoli powder and 10 percent tomato powder.
Other groups of rats were given either tomato or broccoli powder alone or a supplemental dose of lycopene, or finasteride, which is widely prescribed for men with enlarged prostates. The remaining group of rats was castrated.
When the tumor cells were weighed after a period of 22 weeks, the researchers found that the cells in the group that had been given the combination of broccoli and tomatoes had shrunk the most than that of other groups.
Says John Erdman, University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor, "When tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, we see an additive effect. We think it's because different bioactive compounds in each food work on different anti-cancer pathways."
Meanwhile co-author of the study Kirstie Canene-Adams believes that those who have slow growing cancer should include tomatoes and broccoli in their diets.
"To get these effects, men should consume daily 1.4 cups of raw broccoli and 2.5 cups of fresh tomato, or 1 cup of tomato sauce, or 1/2 cup of tomato paste. I think it's very doable for a man to eat a cup and a half of broccoli per day or to put broccoli on a pizza with 1/2 cup of tomato paste", she added.
The details of the study appear in the January 15 issue of Cancer Research.
