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Tomatoes may be effective at reducing breast cancer risk
I want to clarify that the goal of this study was not to explain the causes
of breast cancer incidence among women who regularly consume
tomatoes or otherwise, but rather to examine the effects of dietary
interventions on hormone biomarkers known to be involved in obesity,
inflammation and breast cancer, namelythe adipokines, adiponectin
and leptin. We show that following the 10-week tomato-based dietary
intervention, among all women, there was a significant increase in
serum adiponectin levels, which was stronger among women who had a
lower body mass index. This is important because adiponectin is a
hormone known to play a role in regulating fat and sugar metabolism.
It has also been shown that higher adiponectin levels are
associated with reduced risk of breast cancer in prior observational
studies. The take home message from our study's preliminary findings
is that the beneficial effects of a diet high in lycopene on
adiponectin may explain why tomatoes may be effective at reducing
breast cancer risk.
Bibliographic Reference:
Adana A.M. Llanos
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA
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