According to a Dutch animal study led by Professor Wytske van Weerden from Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, a combination of vitamin E and lycopene suppressed the growth of prostate cancer but each has no effect when used independently.

BASF provided both nutrients: lycopene was provided as LycoVit 10 per cent, and vitamin E as alpha-tocopherol 50 per cent powder.
The researchers found that, after 95 days of supplementation, none of the single supplements, regardless of dose, had any effect on the tumour size.

"Compared with the control, the combined mixture of lycopene and vitamin E, at five mg/kg BW each, suppressed the growth of the prostate xenograft by 73 per cent at day 42," wrote lead author Jacqueline Limpens.

Consequently, the mice receiving the combined supplement also lived 40 per cent longer than the placebo group.

This study findings cast doubt on previous claims that tomato and its extracts can protect against prostate cancer.

The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 136, pp. 1287-1293).

Source: NutraIngredients