Posted on 06/01/2009 2:26:13 PM PDT by Daffynition
Scientists have developed purple tomatoes which they hope may be able to keep cancer at bay.
The fruit are rich in an antioxidant pigment called anthocyanin which is thought to have anti-cancer properties.
A team from the John Innes Centre, Norwich, created the tomatoes by incorporating genes from the snapdragon flower, which is high in anthocyanin.
The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, found mice who ate the tomatoes lived longer.
Anthocyanins, found in particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry, have been shown to help significantly slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
They are also thought to offer protection against cardiovascular disease and age-related degenerative diseases.
There is also evidence that the pigments have anti-inflammatory properties, help boost eyesight, and may help stave off obesity and diabetes.
The John Innes team is investigating ways to increase the levels of health-promoting compounds in more commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.
Tomatoes already contain high levels of beneficial antioxidant compounds, such as lycopene and flavonoids.
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Me too! I have 10 plants in and they are so very, very cold at night! I should really put plastic on the ground to absorb and keep the heat. It sure has been a chilly spring here in the NE!
Seven of the plants are heirlooms and one of them a purple ...we’ll see what happens. I can’t wait!
Oooh, thanks for that link, Quix.
Sorry, but that’s a tomahto, not a tomeito!
I would highly recommend this variety. They taste great, and the history behind them make them more interesting. I found the seeds online. Here are a couple sites where you can order these seeds:
http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Tomatoes-Purple/Cherokee-Purple
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=253
I’ve never ordered from this vendor on Amazon, but here is a link if you would rather purchase seedlings:
http://www.amazon.com/Cherokee-Purple-Tomato-Plants-ORDER/dp/B000OOKMEQ
Yum, your picture is making me long for fresh from the garden tomatoes. It is officially hot here in the midwest. It took a while to warm up and stop the incessant rain, but my tomato plants are healthy, getting big, and most have yellow blossoms on them now. Hope it warms up for you soon. You must be getting quite itchy, if you’re used to summers in the Carolinas.
I’m in New England [had the heirloom ‘enlightment’ in North Carolina] and we have had a cool, wet spring. So far, it’s a slow go. I’ve had to cover the plants twice with frost warnings ... we came close to freezing a few nights.
I do have a plant with three good sized tomatoes on it already ...I bought it with blossoms ......I guess I cheated. ;-D
They give good service and their variety is incredible.
Thanks for your kind reply.
THANKS TONS for the great links.
Blessings,
I am growing some Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
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