Scientists design 'anti-cancer' tomato
A tomato has been engineered to contain higher levels of a chemical which may offer protection against cancer.
The tomato was developed at Purdue University in Indiana, US, by accident as scientists hunted higher quality strains that would ripen later.
Tomatoes, even in their processed form, are already considered to be beneficial to health.
This is because they contain various antioxidant chemicals which may be able to prevent cell damage in the body.
One of these chemicals is called lycopene, the pigment which gives the fruit its traditional red colour.
It has long been associated with good health - a study of thousands of men found that eating 10 or more servings of tomato sauce or tomatoes a week reduced prostate cancer risk by 45%.
Source BBC News
The tomato was developed at Purdue University in Indiana, US, by accident as scientists hunted higher quality strains that would ripen later.
Tomatoes, even in their processed form, are already considered to be beneficial to health.
This is because they contain various antioxidant chemicals which may be able to prevent cell damage in the body.
One of these chemicals is called lycopene, the pigment which gives the fruit its traditional red colour.
It has long been associated with good health - a study of thousands of men found that eating 10 or more servings of tomato sauce or tomatoes a week reduced prostate cancer risk by 45%.
Source BBC News
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