Reduce Risk of Kidney Cancer with Tomatoes

Tomato is a fruit with a high content of antioxidants, one of which is lycopene. The benefits of lycopene is known to prevent prostate cancer. However, the new study says the substance lycopene also maintain kidney health.

The study states, the consumption of tomatoes and lycopene-containing fruits regularly can prevent someone from kidney cancer. Even some other studies also found that consumption of fruits with antioxidants that give red color that can reduce the risk of some other cancers.

In the new study, the researchers conducted an analysis of 92,000 postmenopausal women followed since the mid-1990s to 2013. Respondents were also asked to fill out questionnaires about their eating habits, especially related to the amount of micronutrients, including lycopene, which they consume.

In the study period, a total of 383 respondents were diagnosed with kidney cancer. After that, researchers began to examine the association between kidney cancer with the amount of vitamins that are consumed in the diet, including lycopene, vitamins C, E, and carotene.

Results showed that of the many vitamins that can be studied, only lycopene which has been linked with a reduced risk of kidney cancer. Women who consumed lycopene in greater numbers decreased 45 percent risk of kidney cancer compared to those who ate less lycopene.

Doctor Won Jin Ho from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said the highest consumption of lycopene is done by the respondents in this study together with the consumption of tomatoes per day four. But he also stressed that not only lycopene derived from tomatoes, but also of tomato sauce or other fruit contain lycopene.

Kidney cancer, although its prevalence is not too high, but can cause damage to organs that function in filtering the blood and excrete substances that are harmful to the body. Kidney cancer is often asymptomatic while still in the early stages, then the signs are the discovery of blood in the urine.