By now, almost everyone is familiar with the Journal of the National Cancer Institute’s report that tomatoes may be a significant tool in the fight against cancer. This was outstanding news to tomato growers everywhere, but we suspected it had beneficial properties all along. According to several studies, eating tomatoes and tomato-based products, as well as cooked and canned varieties, reduced the risk of several cancers, including prostate, lung and stomach. Other evidence found benefits for pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, cervical, and breast cancers. Our hero, Lycopene. The antioxidant, Lycopene, is the hero in this study, and tomatoes are chock full of it. They also contain beneficial amounts of other cancer-fighting elements, like vitamins A and C, potassium, and folic acid. So, how did we know, well before the study, that tomatoes were good for us? How could such a luscious, aromatic, flavorful, well-rounded, versatile fruit be bad? We simply didn’t know just how powerful and positive an impact it could have on our physical well-being. For more information on tomatoes and the important role they play in our diets, visit http://www.tomato.org. You’ll like what you see.