A study by researchers at Manchester and Newcastle Universities has found that adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet of 10 volunteers, their skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays improved.
Damage from UV rays can lead to premature ageing and even skin cancer and the scientists say it is the antioxidant lycopene found in tomatoes which provided the benefit.
The lycopene in tomatoes is at its highest concentration when the vegetable has been cooked - a link has already been established between lycopene and a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.
The researchers gave 10 volunteers around 55g of standard tomato paste which contains high levels of cooked tomatoes and 10g of olive oil daily while another 10 participants received just the olive oil.
Tests after three months using UV lamps showed the tomato-eaters were a third better protected against sunburn at the end of the study than at the start, and other tests suggested the tomato-based diet had boosted the production of collagen the protein that keeps skin supple.
The skin samples from the tomato group showed they had 33% more protection against sunburn, the equivalent of a very low factor sun cream and much higher levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and keeps its firm.
Professor Lesley Rhodes, a dermatologist at the University of Manchester says the tomato diet boosted the level of pro-collagen in the skin significantly which suggests a potential for the reversal of the skin ageing process.
The team warn however that tomatoes should be viewed as a "helpful addition" rather than an alternative to suncream and are now conducting research into the benefits of lycopene for the skin.
Other research has shown lycopene may protect against prostate cancer, as well as the lung, bladder, cervical and pancreatic forms of the disease; it may also boost heart health by combating artery-clogging cholesterol.
The study was presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology.
The eating disorder prevention program, called the Body Project, consists of four one-hour weekly sessions in which participants critique the thin ideal espoused for women in our culture and learn how to challenge current and future pressures to be thin. The program has also produced reductions in other important outcomes such as body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms. Stice has partnered with area high schools on this study and has trained high school counselors to facilitate the weekly sessions.
"It is our hope that other institutions and communities will adopt this program for delivery in their schools," notes Stice; "If this program is delivered to enough youth, it should be possible to reduce the prevalence of these serious health problems."
Given that eating disorders are one of the most common problems faced by young women and that obesity is presently credited with 111,000 deaths per year in the US, it is vital to develop brief prevention programs for these pernicious conditions. At least seven other institutions have begun delivering these interventions in the US and in other countries.
ori/