Eating tomatoes daily reduces the risk of skin cancer by 50%, according to a recent US study.
The study was conducted by researchers at Ohio State University and published in Scientific Scientific.
To monitor the effect of tomato in the reduction of skin cancer, the research team conducted a study on a group of male mice.
The researchers divided mice into two groups, the first fed on tomato powder within the daily diet for 35 weeks, then exposed to UV rays of the sun, and the second did not feed on tomatoes.
The researchers found that the group fed on tomato powder had a 50 percent lower incidence of skin cancer than the second group.
The team said previous clinical trials in humans revealed that eating tomatoes over time could weaken sunburn and protect against UV damage.
The mystery behind the relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that the so-called food "carotenoids" and chromosomal compounds that give tomatoes their red color may protect the skin from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, research team leader Jessica Cooperstone said.
"This study showed that we need to look at sex in our future research to develop different prevention strategies against cancer because the study was done on male mice," said Tatiana Obereisen, a professor of pathology and a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ohio.
She noted that "what works in men may not always work well in women and vice versa."