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One of nature's miracle products
PIZZA may not be the healthiest of foods, but according to experts it does has one redeeming ingredient.
Tomato paste, of the kind used in pizza toppings and many other recipes, is a rich source of lycopene, one of nature's miracle products.
Lycopene provides the red colouring to tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Cooking or processing tomatoes makes lycopene easier for the body to absorb so puree, paste and canned products contain the fruit in concentrated amounts.
This is good news for our bodies as lycopene is a powerful antioxidant with the ability to mop up free radicals - destructive molecules that cause untold damage to cells and DNA, raising the risk of heart disease and cancer. It's thought to be particularly effective at preventing prostate cancer, but may also ward off breast, cervical, lung, bladder and pancreatic forms of the disease.
In addition to that, lycopene fights heart disease by interfering with the process that leads to blocked arteries, and it's even reputed to boost the potency of male sperm.
The latest discovery about lycopene suggests that it may help prevent sunburn and premature wrinkles. A study found that volunteers who ate helpings of ordinary tomato paste over a 12-week period developed skin that was less likely to burn in the sun.
Professor Lesley Rhodes, a dermatologist at the University of Manchester said: "People should not think that tomatoes in any way can replace sun creams, but they may be a good additive. If you can improve your protection through your diet then over several years this may have a significant effect."
9:56am Tuesday 6th May 2008
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