番茄醬有助於對抗曬斑與皺紋
Tomato paste helps fight sunburn and wrinkles
Medical Science News
Scientists in Britain are suggesting that a tomato product may help fight sunburn and wrinkles.
A study by researchers at Manchester and Newcastle Universities has found that adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet of 10 volunteers, their skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays improved.
Damage from UV rays can lead to premature ageing and even skin cancer and the scientists say it is the antioxidant lycopene found in tomatoes which provided the benefit.
The lycopene in tomatoes is at its highest concentration when the vegetable has been cooked - a link has already been established between lycopene and a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.
The researchers gave 10 volunteers around 55g of standard tomato paste which contains high levels of cooked tomatoes and 10g of olive oil daily while another 10 participants received just the olive oil.
Tests after three months using UV lamps showed the tomato-eaters were a third better protected against sunburn at the end of the study than at the start, and other tests suggested the tomato-based diet had boosted the production of collagen the protein that keeps skin supple.
The skin samples from the tomato group showed they had 33% more protection against sunburn, the equivalent of a very low factor sun cream and much higher levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and keeps its firm.
Professor Lesley Rhodes, a dermatologist at the University of Manchester says the tomato diet boosted the level of pro-collagen in the skin significantly which suggests a potential for the reversal of the skin ageing process.
The team warn however that tomatoes should be viewed as a "helpful addition" rather than an alternative to suncream and are now conducting research into the benefits of lycopene for the skin.
Other research has shown lycopene may protect against prostate cancer, as well as the lung, bladder, cervical and pancreatic forms of the disease; it may also boost heart health by combating artery-clogging cholesterol.
The study was presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology.英國科學家們提出西紅柿產品有助於對抗曬斑與皺紋。
曼徹斯特和紐卡斯爾大學的研究人員在一個研究中發現，10個志願者每天在的飲食裏增加5湯匙的番茄醬，其皮膚防有害紫外線的能力得到提高。
紫外線的傷害能夠導致皮膚過早老化，甚至導致皮膚癌，科學家表示在番茄裏發現的抗氧化劑——番茄紅素正好能提供防止上述的功效。
當蔬菜被煮熟，番茄中的番茄紅素便得到它的最大濃縮——這條鏈已被建立在番茄紅素能減少得前列腺癌的風險中。
研究人員每日給予10名志願者55g左右的標準番茄醬和10g橄欖油，其中番茄醬包含高度煮熟的番茄，而給予另外參與者僅僅是橄欖油。
試驗歷經的三個月後，在紫外燈照射中顯示番茄食用者的防曬斑能力相比研究開始時得到三倍的提高，同時其他試驗也提出以番茄爲基食已推進了膠原產品出現，一種保持皮膚柔軟的蛋白質。
從食用番茄的小組中抽取的皮膚樣本顯示：他們中33%的防曬斑能力更強了，相當於使用一種非常低效的太陽油和獲得非常高量的原骨膠原，一種令皮膚自構和保持堅固的分子。
曼徹斯特大學的皮膚科醫生Lesley Rhodes教授意味深長地表示食用番茄可以使皮膚中骨原膠原水平得到增進，這就暗示可以逆轉皮膚老化的進程。
這個研究小組發出警告，不管怎樣，番茄應該被視爲一種增效物，並非勝於太陽油的可選擇品，而且正引導人民探究番茄紅素對皮膚的功效。
另外，有調查已經表示番茄紅素也許能防前列腺癌，也可以防止肺、膀胱、子官頸和胰腺形式的疾病；其同樣可能通過抗擊膽固醇動脈堵塞增進心臟健康。
這個研究出現在英國社會研究皮膚醫學中。
