Healthy living
Anti-ageing
Tomato benefits for skin
Tomatoes may hold the key to keeping your skin youthful, say a team of British scientists
Researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Newcastle have found that including lots of tomatoes in your diet can protect against sunburn and help keep wrinkles at bay.
Researchers recruited 20 volunteers for the study; half were given five tablespoons (55mg) of tomato paste - a concentrated source of cooked tomatoes - and 10g of olive oil every day for three months. The remaining volunteers received only the olive oil.
The team used ultra-violet lamps at the start and end of the trial to determine how well the participant’s skin was able to resist sun damage. The results showed that those people on the tomato rich diet were 33 per cent more protected against sunlight than the control group. The team calculated that the protection offered was equivalent to applying factor 1.3 sunscreen.
Further tests suggested that those people eating the tomatoes had boosted collagen production – a protein that helps keep the skin stay supple.
The team believe that the key ingredient is a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Antioxidants are beneficial because they neutralize free radicals - naturally occurring chemicals that may damage the body’s cells and have been linked to cancer.
Cooked tomatoes have a higher concentration of lycopene than the raw fruit because the heating process releases the lycopene so that it is readily absorbed by the body.
However the authors of the study are quick to point out that eating tomatoes does not mean that you can throw away the sunscreen.
‘Tomatoes are not an alternative to sun protection,’ warns co-author Professor Mark Birch-Machin, ‘But it does provide an added benefit. However it is still important to limit your sun exposure and wear protective creams and clothing.’
Tomatoes appear to bestow other health benefits too. Previous research has found that lycopene may lower cholesterol levels and help maintain healthy arteries. Other studies have linked the antioxidant with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
‘We age because the batteries of our cells run down,’ says Birch-Machin. ‘Lycopene helps to top up these batteries and hold back the processes that lead to aging. Eating a diet rich in tomatoes is a risk free way to reap the benefits.’
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.