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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 The agency also included dozens of studies comparing lycopene or tomato intake against the risk of individual cancers such as prostate, colon and breast malignancies.
The bottom line, according to the FDA: There's just not enough evidence to recommend that Americans boost their tomato intake to ward off cancer.
However, the new report is certainly not the last word on cancer-preventing claims for lycopene, Coates added.
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"It just codifies the fact that the information about lycopene and cancer is not very robust," he said. "It may well be that if more studies are done, a greater effect might be found. But now, when you look at similar studies done by different people, they come to the same conclusion."
For its part, the American Cancer Society prefers to stay away from recommending any one food as a cancer preventive agent, said Marji McCullough, director of nutritional epidemiology for the organization.
"In our guidelines, we encourage people to eat a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables," she said. "Several studies have suggested a lower risk of cancer with some kinds of foods, including tomatoes, but we encourage variety."
The society encourages consumption of "dark deep-colored vegetables, because some studies have found an association between them and lower cancer risk," McCullough said.
The society also encourages fruit and vegetable consumption, because it helps prevent weight gain, she said.
But endorsement of specific foods won't come until research shows that they clearly are associated with lower cancer risk, McCullough said. As for supplements, "most of the evidence comes from studies of foods," she said.
More information
There's more on lycopene at the American Cancer Society.
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