Soy and Tomato Combo Best For Prostate Cancer Prevention

New research suggests that men could help to protect themselves from prostate cancer by eating a combination of tomatoes and soy foods. John Erdman, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Illinois, and colleagues studied the effect of diet on mice genetically engineered to develop an aggressive form of prostate cancer.  Between the age of 4 and 18-weeks old the mice were fed 1 of 4 diets: 10% whole tomato powder; 2% soy germ; 10% whole tomato powder and 2% soy germ; or a control diet containing neither tomato nor soy. Results showed that only 45% of mice fed a combination of tomato and soy had developed prostate cancer by the end of the study, whereas 66% of mice who received tomato or soy developed the disease. In contrast, 100% of mice in the control group developed prostate cancer. “Eating tomato, soy, and the combination all significantly reduced prostate cancer incidence. But the combination gave us the best results,” said Professor Erdman. Study co-author Krystle Zuniga added: “The results of the mouse study suggest that 3 to 4 servings of tomato products per week and 1 to 2 servings of soy foods daily could protect against prostate cancer.” The researchers recommend eating whole tomatoes and drinking soy milk instead of taking lycopene and soy isoflavones supplements.