I have read that tomatoes can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Is this really true and how does is work?

Cancer of the prostate is one of the most common fatal male tumours in men over 55. While not yet proven, increased intakes of foods such as tomato and soybean products might be beneficial to health. A six year study of 48,000 male health professionals conducted by Harvard Medical School found that men who ate tomato based foods more than twice a week had up to a 34 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer compared to those who ate none. This seems to be due to the high levels of lycopene, a red carotenoid related to beta-carotene, in tomatoes.

Another interesting research finding is that in Japan, there are 4 deaths per 100,000 men from prostate cancer compared to 17 per 100'000 in western countries. Some scientists speculate that this is due to their higher intake of soy foods. Researchers suggest that these foods, which contain plant oestrogens, reduce the activity of a hormone involved in the development of prostate cancer.

The results suggest but do not prove that eating tomato based and soy foods might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In general it is recommended that you eat a well balanced diet for good health.