Dehydrated tomatoes may fight prostate tumors

By Amy Norton Mon Jun 9, 3:20 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A compound found in dehydrated tomatoes may help quash prostate cancer tumors, new animal research suggests.

Studies have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether tomatoes or lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, might offer prostate cancer protection. One recent study found no correlation between men's blood levels of lycopene and their risk of prostate cancer.

The new findings, reported in the journal Cancer Research, suggest that the processing of the tomato may be a key factor.

Researchers found that a form of carbohydrate called FruHis, found in dehydrated tomatoes, appeared to protect rats from developing prostate tumors. The greatest protection came from dehydrated tomatoes that had been rehydrated into tomato paste and supplemented with additional FruHis.

The findings could aid in developing new, less toxic cancer therapies, said lead researcher Dr. Valeri V. Mossine, of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

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