Study: Tomatoes May Prevent Cancer... If They are Purple
Tuesday October 28, 2008
A new study has revealed that eating purple tomatoes may prevent cancer, at least in mice in the laboratory setting. Purple tomatoes, you may ask? No, it's not some exotic version of the fruit or one you can only find at Trader Joe's. This type of tomato is bioengineered - a cross between your average tomato and a snapdragon. By combining the two, the result is a fruit that is high in antioxidants (compounds that help reduce your risk of cancer).
While you may not see purple tomatoes in the produce section of your supermarket any time soon, the study reveals the potential cancer prevention properties of anthocyanins, a potential antioxidant that gives plants it's dark colored hue. It is found naturally in dark colored plants like grapes and blackberries. But, what if these fruits were bioengineered to contain higher amounts of anthocyanin? What if we were to genetically manipulate other fruits and vegetable to produce it?
Agricultural biotechnology is a hot topic in science today. Most of our agricultural production has undergone some type of biotechnological process, whether to manipulate a gene of a fruit or vegetable to stay fresh longer or even making a crop more resistant to certain insects. What do you think of genetically modified foods?
While you may not see purple tomatoes in the produce section of your supermarket any time soon, the study reveals the potential cancer prevention properties of anthocyanins, a potential antioxidant that gives plants it's dark colored hue. It is found naturally in dark colored plants like grapes and blackberries. But, what if these fruits were bioengineered to contain higher amounts of anthocyanin? What if we were to genetically manipulate other fruits and vegetable to produce it?
Agricultural biotechnology is a hot topic in science today. Most of our agricultural production has undergone some type of biotechnological process, whether to manipulate a gene of a fruit or vegetable to stay fresh longer or even making a crop more resistant to certain insects. What do you think of genetically modified foods?
Comments
This is simplistic, but Single genes often affect multiple charactistics. So in altering a gene to produce a desired trait, you may be unleashing unknown and possibly undesireable ones down the line.
Or there may be downsides. Sugar beets that resist herbisides and, I believe, certainn pesticides have been developed and are coming to widespread use. So the sugar you eat may contain higher amounts of these. The FDA I’ve heard is raising the allowable limits to accommodate this. In this day and age of big Oil and pharmaceuticals spending millions to buy votes, does anyone out there doubt that Agribusiness doesn’t have some effect on government relevant government agencies and potiticians?
topic about the purple tomato is infortive for me as it is very new for me.I just want to know that how is purple tomato looks like i.e. the shape colour image i want to know
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