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A glass of tomato juice reduces the risk of breast cancer
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Women who regularly eat tomatoes are less susceptible to malignant breast tumors – this is the conclusion reached by American experts. The results of one of the latest studies have proven that tomatoes are very useful for women’s health and are one of the best preventive measures against the development of malignant breast tumors. Tomatoes are recommended to be consumed as often as possible by both young girls and older women.
The results of the study showed that adding sufficient amounts of tomatoes to the diet helps to normalize the level of a hormone in the female body that is responsible for regulating metabolism and helps reduce the risk of developing malignant tumors in the mammary glands.
As the researchers themselves note, a glass of tomato juice contains the amount of lycopene (a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent the development of malignant tumors of the prostate, lungs, stomach, etc.) required by the body per day. Lycopene increases the hormone adiponectin in the body, which is responsible for normalizing fat levels and reduces the risk of obesity. In oncology, obesity is considered one of the primary causes contributing to the development of breast cancer.
Seventy women over the age of 55 took part in the experiment. All women had already reached menopause and were in a high-risk group for developing breast cancer (heredity, excess weight, etc.).
For ten weeks, the women drank tomato juice and ate tomatoes every day. Every day, the women's bodies received at least 25 mg of lycopene. After the end of the study period, the specialists measured the subjects' hormone levels and found that the amount of adiponectin increased by an average of 9%. The effect was much stronger in thinner women. The author of the project, Adana Llanos, noted that a diet that includes a large amount of tomatoes has a positive effect on hormone levels more effectively if a woman's weight is within normal limits.
Tomatoes are the main source of lycopene, but there are other products that contain this powerful antioxidant. In much smaller quantities, it can be found in watermelons, pink grapefruits, apricots, guava, papaya. According to British researchers, the presence of lycopene in other products reduces the value of the study conducted by their American colleagues.
One of the specialists in cancer research in the UK noted that the human diet includes a variety of food products, and some of them (in some cases, a combination of several products) can reduce the risk of developing cancer. It is impossible to say exactly how the consumption of one product affects the development of cancer processes. According to the expert, there is no need to start eating tomatoes. To reduce the risk of developing a malignant tumor of the mammary gland, it is recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle (not to abuse alcohol, tobacco, eat properly and fully, exercise) and monitor your own weight.
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