A recent symposium held in Washington, DC, focused on the growing body of research about lycopene, a natural antioxidant found in tomatoes. Highlights from the symposium included: • University of Toronto researchers announced that lycopene might play a restorative role in bone density by protecting against the formation of free radicals.

• Lycopene was shown in another University of Toronto study to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease.

• Scientists from the All India Institute of Medical Studies in New Delhi reported that a diet rich in lycopene can aid fertility in men.

• Consumer awareness of lycopene is growing, and it has now become synonymous with tomatoes and processed tomato products.

• Heat processing of tomatoes releases up to 2.5 times the lycopene from the fruit.

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