Lycopene

Lycopene is the most abundant carotenoid in your body and a more potent antioxidant than beta carotene. It is what causes tomatoes to be red. The leading source of lycopene is tomatoes-- only watermelon and pink grapefruit have significant amounts of lycopene and it is much lower than in tomatoes. People who eat diets rich in tomatoes and tomato products have a lower risk for cancers of the prostate and digestive tract, including colon and rectal cancers.

In a 6 year study of 48,000 male physicians, those consuming tomatoes, tomato sauce or pizza more than twice a week reduced their risk for prostate cancer by up to 34 percent.

The redder the tomato the more lycopene it contains. Processed tomato products are a rich source of lycopene because they are made from very ripe tomatoes and are cooked. Cooking tomatoes releases lycopene so that it can be absorbed more easily.