Tomatoes contain a carotenoid called lycopene which gives tomatoes their red color and has antioxidant properties. Lycopene may be one of the reasons tomato consumption has been linked with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer.
Interestingly, tomato sauce consumption has been associated with an even greater reduction in prostate cancer risk compared with raw tomatoes and the availability of lycopene may be responsible.
When we cook tomatoes to make a sauce, lycopene is liberated from the cell walls and is more readily absorbed which may explain the observed reduced prostate cancer risk. In fact cooking tomatoes for just 30 minutes will increase lycopene levels three fold and antioxidant activity will increase by more than half. Blending tomatoes in a food processor or a blender will also help free up lycopene and make it more readily absorbable. Lycopene, like other carotenoids, is fat soluble so a little extra virgin olive oil will help improve absorption.
posted by So young Lee
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