Scientists: Tomatoes may protect against skin cancer

Foods that contain tomatoes or tomato paste, such as pizza or spaghetti bolognese, can increase the skin's resistance to UV rays, which can cause premature aging and even skin cancer. This conclusion was made by British scientists, according to the BBC.

Foods that contain tomatoes or tomato paste, such as pizza or spaghetti bolognese, can increase the skin's resistance to UV rays, which can cause premature aging and even skin cancer. This conclusion was made by British scientists, according to the BBC.

The study, conducted by the universities of Manchester and Newcastle, involved two groups of ten volunteers. One was given 55 grams of tomato paste every day for three months (for its preparation, tomatoes are heat-treated) and 10 grams of OLIVE OIL. The second group was given only olive oil.

Three months later, skin samples from those who ate tomato paste showed 33% more procollagen, which protects against sunburn and gives skin strength. This boost in levels of this collagen precursor protein is comparable to a sunscreen with a very low factor, according to the researchers.

Scientists suggest that the main component of tomatoes that enhances skin protection is the antioxidant lycopene. Its concentration increases with the heat treatment of tomatoes.

"The tomato diet significantly raised the content of procollagen. This indicates the possibility of reversing the aging process of the skin. And we did not give so many tomatoes to our group of volunteers. You can easily gain so much if you eat a lot of tomato dishes," says a dermatologist from the University of Manchester Leslie Rhodes. The scientists, however, stress that tomatoes should be seen as a healthy addition rather than a replacement for sunscreen.