I was recently at the grocery store with my fiance, doing a quick shopping run. As we traversed through the grocery section of our local Stop & Shop, I kept reminding her that we needed to buy more tomatoes. After about the fourth reminder, she finally turned to me and asked what the big deal was about tomatoes, and why it was so important that we buy them. I told her it was because of their known cancer-fighting properties, due in large part to their richness in lycopene. After offering the quip, "You're lyc-o-pain in the ass," she ultimately did acquiesce and we did end up purchasing this antioxidant rich vegetable. Or fruit. Whatever it is.

Anecdotes aside, I just yesterday came across research (from a 2007 Ohio State study) involving a certain variety of orange tomato called a Tangerine Tomato. Evidently, people are able to better absorb the antioxidant lycopene from this particular type of tomato than from the more typical red tomatoes.

If you have trouble finding Tangerine Tomatoes at your grocery store, try other kinds of orange tomatoes or gold heirloom varieties. But, whatever kind, color, brand, or type of tomato you choose, always be sure to cook your tomatoes in order to receive the greatest absorption of lycopene.

Lyc-o-pain in the ass...I'll admit it, that was a pretty good one.

If you're in the mood for upping your antioxidant levels -- antioxidants can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of free radicals, thus lowering the risk of cancer -- here's one quick and easy tip for you: keep your watermelons warm.

Research shows that watermelons stored at room temperatures have much higher levels of antioxidants (beta-carotene and lycopene) than those kept chilled in the fridge. Warm watermelons are even better than fresh-picked melons.

One caution: once cut, watermelons must refrigerated. So try to enjoy your watermelons as soon as you slice and dice them. Then keep your leftovers cool.

Source: Good Housekeeping, July 2007

Apricots are one of my favorite fruits, mainly because they are so perfectly sized for a small snack. Plus they're so tasty. I've heard so much lately about how good they are for you and I thought I'd share. They're good at helping you prevent cataracts, heart disease and even cancer. Apricots -- especially dried ones -- have a good supply of lycopene, a cancer-preventing nutrient often found in tomatoes. Apricots are also high in beta carotene, an antioxidant.

Have them fresh, dried, in a dessert -- simply put, just get them in to your diet somehow.

How do you like your apricots?

First, it seemed eating lycopene-rich tomatoes offered protection against prostate cancer. Now it seems this is not so true. In fact, researchers have found an association between an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer and beta carotene, an antioxidant related to lycopene.

Lycopene seemed for a short time to be a quick and easy fix for men trying to lower their prostate cancer risk. Yet studies are failing to show any significant differences in blood lycopene levels between men who develop the disease and those who do not.

The largest study to yield these results investigated the role of blood levels of lycopene and other antioxidants in the prevention of prostate cancer. It was an unexpected turn of events that led researchers to the link between the most aggressive cancers and antioxidants found in many vegetables. While the observation may be due to chance, beta carotene is known to increase risk of lung cancer and heart disease in smokers and may be worth a bit more study.

Tomato fruits (yes, they are not vegetables) contain lycopene, a pigment and phytochemical that is extremely healthy and can even be found in higher-end nutritional supplements and holistic cancer-preventing compounds. Is it really that good?

From all I've read, yes it is. Just like blueberries, tomatoes are excellent and natural ways to help ward off cancer while being tasty and ultimately nutritious at the same time.

Guys -- you'll be glad to know that lycopene has been demonstrated to be particularly effective at protecting men from prostate cancer. In addition to saw palmetto, perhaps tomatoes should be a daily part of your diet? Slice one on a few halves of whole-grain wheat bread (without sweeteners) and it makes a very tasty meal. Zing it up with some spicy mustard, and you've got one of my favorite snacks.

Update: this link gives an opposite view on the effects of lycopene -- which should we believe? No wonder there is mass confusion on cancer. (Thanks, hchcec)

Oregon State University (OSU) researchers have been working on creating a purple tomato for several years and predict that one should be available in the local grocer's within two years. The eggplant purple tomato will have all the healthy tomato antioxidant lycopene goodness the red orbs offer now with the added benefit of blueberries nutrition in phytochemicals believed by some to offer cancer prevention functional food benefits.

According to OSU Professor Jim Myers, the new hybrid eggplant purple tomato will be the first true purple tomato. According to an OSU backgrounder on the purple tomatoes, hundreds of years ago, explorers discovered purple tomatoes in the wild, but those tomatoes never made it to the table because the fruit was small and some were poisonous. In the 1960s and 1970s, scientists collected seeds from these tomatoes and started to breed them with modern hybrids, making them safe to eat. They discovered that the new purple tomato, unlike the traditional red, contain high levels of anthocyanins, a chemical found in dark fruit pigments such as blueberries and grapes.

Some days, science is just plain fun.

Summertime, watermelon, and the 4th of July all go hand and hand. This fruit seems to be a tradition in almost every back yard BBQ on this holiday. In July this fruit is abundant in every roadside fruit stand, farmers market and grocery store. Watermelon contains the phytochemical lycopene, one of our colorful disease preventing cartenoids that is most known for in tomatoes. That is why they are both red. Studies have shown that a cup and a half of watermelon contains about 9 to 13 milligrams of lycopene. On average, watermelon has about 40 percent more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

The vegetable Jicama has a crunchy texture like that of water chestnuts but with a sweet taste. It is easy to just peel, slice and serve raw. It is a good source of vitamin C as well as dietary fiber aiding in fighting colon cancer.

I like to use these two naturally sweet items in a nutritional salad packed with vitamins, taste, fiber and cancer fighting lycopene.  Here is my recipe.

Vicki's Watermelon & Jicama Salad
1 head Romain lettuce.
1 head radichio
4 tangerines peeled and segmented
1 piece jicama, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices about 2 inches long
1 watermelon   
1 pack feta cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries 
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Vicki's Citrus Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together all ingredients.

Tear lettuce and radichio apart rinse well and shake dry. Lightly tear apart into bite size pieces and place the leaves around on individual salad plates so that the texture and colors of the salad are mixed. Scoop out 5 to 6 balls of the watermelon with a melon baller and place onto the center of the salad plates. Then place wedges of the jicama and tangerines around the watermelon. Sprinkle with cranberries, feta cheese, and toasted sunflower seeds. Lightly drizzle with citrus vinaigrette and serve. Will serve 4 to 6 depending on how large you like your salads.

Tomatoes are the best in the summer and now that summer time is upon us, I am anxiously waiting to pick fresh tomatoes from the vines in my back yard as they ripen. Research studies showed that Lycopene which is an antioxidant in tomatoes has a role in fighting prostate cancer. Lycopene supplements became the darling of health-conscious Americans a decade ago, when studies began to link high tomato consumption with a reduced risk of several types of chronic disease. Some studies associated high tomato consumption with a reduced risk of heart disease. Others found evidence that tomatoes help protect against cancer of the prostate, digestive tract, cervix, breast, and lung.

Some people confuse tomatoes with being in the acidifying foods column but they are indeed alkaline and extremely good for you. Again if you are not growing your own tomatoes, buy organic products.

Vicki's Tomato and Basil Salad

4 tomatoes cubed (don't over chop it will turn to puree)
2 cucumbers diced (peeling not necessary)
1 sweet red pepper diced
1 small can sliced black olives (rinse and drain)
10 fresh basil leaves (chopped)
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Toss in a mixing bowl and salt and pepper to taste

If you are a cheese eater you can mix up this recipe by buying some fresh mozzarella cheese balls and dice some up into the salad. but remember cheese in an acidifying food if you are trying to stay strictly alkaline for this diet.

The new Netscape launched today, offering a voter news-based format that looks sweet. I will like it better once they get all the kinks worked out and the news is a bit more fresh. As a blogger for Life Sciences, I first visited the Health & Fitness channel. The most voted for story is linked to The New Scientist's Organic ketchup helps fight cancer. Two years ago, in January 2005, it was reported that Agricultural Research Service researchers analyzed 13 different ketchup brands for lycopene content -- lycopene is a very well-known cancer prevention nutrient -- and found the organic brands of ketchup had more lycopene. One brand of organic ketchup had about five times as much lycopene per weight as a tomato. The darker the ketchup the better.

Jay Garcia made a valid point when he commented, "Organic ketchup in a plastic bottle sorta defeats the purpose unless of course you're putting it on an organic hamburger." I'd have to agree with Garcia. Maybe the ketchup companies have that figured out by now and are offering organic ketchup in a type of container that isn't linked to increased cancer risks. Otherwise, does sort of defeat the purpose.

Tesco, a grocery-chain in Sussex, England, has announced it will be selling a new tomato which they claim contains up to twice the normal level of lycopene when compared to tomatoes available in the grocer's produce now. According to Tesco claims, the new variety was created naturally by crossing varieties with high lycopene levels. Lycopene, an antioxidant, is thought to be an effective cancer prevention antioxidant for men's prostate health.

Dr Chris Hiley, at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said in response to the availability of the new tomatoes, "We also advise men to eat a diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables, to reduce their intake of animal fat, particularly red meat, and, of course, to keep their weight under control."