Can Tomatoes Help Prevent Breast Cancer in Older Women? – Recent Research Says Yes!

You say “to-may-toes” while I say “to-mah-toes.” Whichever way you say it though, it appears that older women should consider eating lots of them to help prevent breast cancer. I hope this gives you one more thing to discuss with your doctor as a part of your own personal cancer prevention plan.

Rutgers University has just published some interesting data, showing that tomatoes help us to produce higher levels of adiponectin, a hormone that may help to regulate blood sugar and fat metabolism.

As an added bonus, tomatoes are powerhouse fruits (not vegetables) in many other ways. They are low in sodium and calories and contain magnesium, phosphorus, copper and niacin. Tomatoes are also packed with Vitamins A, B6, C, K, folate and potassium, which is good for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, and heart disease.

And if that wasn’t enough for us women over 60, the beta carotene in tomatoes helps protect our skin from sun damage and lycopene makes our skin less sensitive to UV light damage, a leading cause of fine lines and wrinkles. On top of all that, lycopene may help to strengthen the immune system against various forms of cancer (hence the research results that Rutgers just reported).

Is there anything that this amazing fruit cannot do? It feels like you could live on nothing but tomatoes and get almost every single vitamin and mineral nutrient your body needed to stay healthy! Of course, that’s not literally true, but, you get the idea :) I am also a bit of a fan of Bloody Mary’s, but tomato juice with an olive, Worcester Sauce and a stick of celery, is probably not an acceptable replacement for a raw, fresh juicy tomato!

What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes? What else do you do to stay healthy after 60? Please add your thoughts in the comments section below.

Watch this video to get more healthy living tips for older women.