I have been watching TV this morning and there was a discussion about digesting Tomatoe Puree dialy to prevent sun damge . Does anyone have any thoughts on this or do they have any information / research.
Thank you

Hello, Tomatoes contain Lycopene an anti-oxydant that is found in higher concentration in cooked tomatoes.
There are a number of research papers on lycopene and its potential use against certain types of cancer, and as a natural protection against harmfull sunrays.
Television and media tend to hype news in order to make it more dramatic, and therefore more likely to attract attention from viewers or readers.
Lycopene is going to be hyped as a cure all anti-every disease on earth, until the next hype.
Tomatoes are part of a good balanced diet, but if by chance you hate tomatoes or are allergic to it, do not bother and I am sure you will survive.

Your query raise an interesting subject: poorly designed or incomplete scientific studies which are used to hype product and sell them to the public at greatly inflated price.
I am pretty sure that somebody somewhere is already making lycopene tablets to sell to the gullible under the pretense that this will protect you from cancer, harmful sunrays (as well as death and taxes?) and all sorts of evil on earth
Best wishes

PJ

There has been some research by Newcastle University in collaboration with the British Association of Dermatologists.

In summary:

QUOTE:
collaborators at Newcastle University found that the lycopene had reduced damage to mitochondrial DNA in the skin, which is also believed to be linked with skin ageing.

Professor Mark Birch-Machin, dermatology scientist from Newcastle University, says, "Eating tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun, but it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreens, shade and clothing."

"The protective effect of eating tomatoes on our mitochondria is important as they are the energy producers in all our body cells including skin. Therefore being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect."

Nina Goad of the British Association of Dermatologists says "While the protection offered by lycopene is low, this research suggests that a diet containing high levels of antioxidant rich tomatoes could provide an extra tool in sun protection."

The team is now looking to start a new, longer-term study into the protective effects of lycopene on the skin.

However obviously we need to see more than one report and from the article they are going to do a longer study.

The article in full can be read here:

Tomatoes found to fight sun damage

hello, interesting quote, with a couple of important words:
QUOTE:
collaborators at Newcastle University found that the lycopene had reduced damage to mitochondrial DNA in the skin, which is also believed to be linked with skin ageing.

Professor Mark Birch-Machin, dermatology scientist from Newcastle University, says, "Eating tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun, but it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreens, shade and clothing."

"The protective effect of eating tomatoes on our mitochondria is important as they are the energy producers in all our body cells including skin. Therefore being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect."

Nina Goad of the British Association of Dermatologists says "While the protection offered by lycopene is low, this research suggests that a diet containing high levels of antioxidant rich tomatoes could provide an extra tool in sun protection."

The team is now looking to start a new, longer-term study into the protective effects of lycopene on the skin.


This is a good example of how useless information is reported; if you read this quote properly, you will find that:
1) "may be" does not mean "for sure"

2) "suggest" does not mean "prove"

3) "could provide" does not mean "definitly provide"

Look at this wonderfully totally meaningless phrase: Therefore being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect.

Always read carefully what appears in newspapers

and eat a lot of tomates, they are very good for you in many ways

Regards,

Heretix