EVALUATION OF THE EVIDENCE ON THE ROLE OF TOMATO PRODUCTS IN DISEASE PREVENTION

During the last 30 years, research in the field of nutrition and chron ic disease causation has led to exciting, significant progress in prov iding an understanding of specific risk factors and chemopreventive ag ents. The major health problems considered are cardiovascular diseases and the nutritionally linked cancers, including those in the stomach, colon, breast, prostate, ovary, and endometrium. The major elements c onsidered were salt, type and amount of fat, and heterocyclic amines f ormed during cooking. Bran cereal fiber, as well as vegetables, fruits , and tea have been shown to inhibit the complex processes of initiati on and development of these diseases. One aspect involved in initiatio n and development of both cardiovascular diseases and the cancers note d are abnormal oxidative processes leading to the generation of hydrox y radicals and peroxy compounds, In part, the protective role of veget ables, fruits, and tea is to provide antioxidant vitamins and specific polyphenols that display a powerful inhibition in oxidative reactions . Epidemiological studies as well as laboratory experimentation have y ielded sound data and evidence in support of the fact that vegetables, fruits, and tea and specific antioxidants therein account mechanistic ally for inhibition. Geographic pathology has provided important data that populations with a regular intake of tomato products, such as in the Mediterranean region, have a lower incidence of the chronic diseas es noted. The current Symposium is considering the varied mechanisms o f action of tomato products in general, end one of the active principl es, lycopene. Cooking is a factor in releasing the desirable antioxida nts from tomatoes. Cooked tomato products may be preferable to the raw vegetable or juices derived from tomatoes bearing on absorption of th e active principles. Optimally, absorption of lycopene, a highly lipid -soluble chemical, is improved in the presence of a small, but essenti al amount of oil or fat. Research in the field of nutrition and health has shown that monounsaturated oils such as olive oil or canola oil a re most desirable, since such oils do not increase the risk of atheros clerosis, coronary heart disease, or the nutritionally linked cancers. The International Symposium on tea conducted in 1991 has provided wor ldwide interest in research on the beneficial effects of tea. It is no w hoped that the present Symposium, dealing with another inexpensive a nd readily available food, tomatoes, will enhance interest in and fund ing for additional research, to underwrite future recommendations for possibly enhanced production and use of tomato-derived nutritional ele ments, with the goal of application to the prevention of major chronic diseases, the treatment of which is costly and often ineffective.