Superfoods: fruit and veg

Superfoods: tomatoes

The richest source of the super-nutrient lycopene, which is known to protect against breast and prostate cancers and is essential for avoiding vision loss in old age. American researchers tracked nearly 40,000 middle-aged and older women over five years and found that as lycopene levels in their blood went up, their risk of heart disease and stroke dropped. Low lycopene levels have been linked with several cancers including bowel and prostate, and Scottish researchers have also found that the yellow jelly around tomato seeds helps make blood less prone to clotting. Tomatoes contain other protective phytochemicals and scientists think it's the combination of these that provides the best protection for general health. 

Eaten raw, canned, puréed or even as ketchup or juice, all forms of tomato are rich in potent lycopene.

The best way to eat tomatoes is to cook them up in a sauce or purée, ideally with a little olive oil.  Heating and processing increase the lycopene content, and there's evidence to show that adding a small quantity of oil may help your body absorb even more of it.