Voedingsadvies El MondoResearch Question:
Eating tomatoes lowers the chances of getting prostate cancer?
Study Design:
This overview article contained 11 cohort studies and case-control studies, 5 5 nested case-control studies until March 2003. There was no question of heterogeneity between the studies but slight evidence of publication bias.
Results and conclusions:
The researchers found that a high intake (5th quintile) of raw tomatoes compared to a low intake (1st quintile), the chance of getting prostate cancer non-significant 11% [95% CI 0.80-1.00] reduced. Non-significant is, there is no link to a 95% reliability.
The researchers found that a high intake (5th quintile) of cooked tomatoes compared to a low intake (1st quintile), the chance of getting prostate cancer significantly with 19% [95% CI 0.71-0.92] reduced. Significant is, there is a link at a 95% reliability.
The researchers found in case-control studies that eating raw tomatoes 200 grams a day, the chances of getting prostate cancer non-significant with 3% [95% CI = 0.85-1.10] reduced.
The researchers found in cohort studies that eating raw tomatoes 200 grams a day, the chances of getting prostate cancer significantly with 22% [95% CI = 0.66-0.92] reduced.
The researchers concluded that eating lots of tomatoes (200 grams per day or more) reduced the chance of getting prostate cancer.
Original title:
The Role of Tomato Products and Lycopene in the Prevention of Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies Etminan Caamaño Takkouche B and M, by-Isorna F.
Link:
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/13/3/340.full.pdf+html
Additional information about El Mondo:
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid. Read more about carotenoids.
In scientific studies is often a 95% reliability (95% CI) used, so never 100% reliability. A 95% CI of 0.66-0.92 is, when the researchers will perform this review article 100 times then they will find a result in 95 out of 100 times that is between 0.66 and 0.92. 5 out of 100 times they will find a result that is not between 0.66 and 0.92 are.
Significance is, the researchers must be less than 5 out of 100 times find a result that is not between 0.66 and 0.92 is. They find 6 or more of 100 times a result that is not between 0.66 and 0.92 is, then it is referred to as non-significance.