Tomato Powder 1 lb. Bulk

Dehydrated

Botanical Name: Lycopersicom esculentum

Origin: China

Serving Size 1 medium tomato (148g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 35 Calories from Fat 0

% of Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.5 g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0g 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 4g
Protein 1g

Potassium 360mg 10%
Vitamin A 20%
Vitamin C 40%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tomatoes are now eaten freely throughout the world, although their seeds cannot be digested and pass straight through human intestines. Today, their consumption is believed to benefit the heart. Lycopene, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants, is present in tomatoes and has been found to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer, among other things. The greatest benefits are accrued through eating cooked tomatoes rather than raw.

New Study Shows Tomatoes May Protect Against Cancer

PHILADELPHIA - March 12, 1999 - New medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene - the stuff that makes tomatoes red - may prevent cancer.

Omer Kucuk, M.D., oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, has produced the first scientific evidence to indicate that a lycopene supplement containing tomato extract may protect against prostate cancer. The study is being presented today at the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Philadelphia.

In the study, Dr. Kucuk and colleagues followed 30 men with localized prostate cancer who were scheduled to undergo surgical removal of the prostate. For three weeks prior to surgery, study participants were randomly assigned to receive either a 15-milligram capsule of lycopene as a pure tomato extract, twice daily, or no intervention. Following removal of the prostates, the glands were analyzed to determine whether there were any differences between the two groups studied.

The investigators found that the group treated with lycopene supplements had smaller tumors, the cancer was more frequently confined to the prostate, meaning the cancer did not spread to surrounding tissue and organs. Levels of serum PSA (prostate specific antigen, a common marker used to detect prostate cancer) actually declined during the 3-week span that participants took the lycopene supplement. In addition, the tumors in participants who consumed lycopene showed signs of regression and decreased malignancy.

"This study represents the first clinical evidence that lycopene supplements may prevent cancer," said Dr. Kucuk. "Furthermore, the findings suggest that lycopene may not only help prevent cancer, but may also be useful in treating men who are already diagnosed with prostate cancer."

"However, due to the small size of the study, it is not yet possible to draw a firm conclusion. More studies on the effects of prostate cancer are warranted," he added.

Studies previously conducted on the preventive health benefits of lycopene were epidemiological studies that indicated an association between consumption of tomato products and decreased risk of prostate cancer. Dr. Kucuk's clinical trial suggests a more direct relationship between the consumption of lycopene and prostate cancer than the previous studies.

The AACR, founded in 1907, is a professional society of more than 14,000 laboratory and clinical scientists engaged in cancer research in the United States, Canada, and more than 60 other countries.

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of the nation's leading cancer research, treatment, education and outreach centers. It is affiliated with Wayne State University and The Detroit Medical Center and supported by United Way.

Botanically a fruit, the tomato is nutritionally categorized as a vegetable (see below). Since "vegetable" is not a botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable.

To preserve freshness, aroma and potency, our products are packaged in 1 lb. polyfoil, barrier seal bags which protects the contents from light exposure and moisture.