Home grown: for Amy Burman and Gerry Wadsworth, growing organic tomatoes is more than a labor of love - snapshots - benefits of plant; preventative in development of prostate cancer - Brief Article - Recipe

Better Nutrition, May, 2002 by M.P. Mullen

Six years ago, Amy Burman and Gerry Wadsworth were used to growing peas, parsnips, spinach and other cold-hardy crops in their native Connecticut.

But since moving to Richmond, Va., they've made organic tomatoes their crop of choice--in part because of Virginia's longer growing season, and in part because of tomatoes' surprising health benefits.

"Some years ago, I read that tomatoes were good for your prostate, so I started growing and eating as many as I could," says Wadsworth. But it wasn't until relatively recently that more specific health benefits of tomatoes have surfaced.

As early as 1995, researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that men who eat at least 10 servings of tomatoes or tomato-based products per week are 33 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who never eat tomatoes.

A review of 72 different studies published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in February 1999 identified the reason: lycopene.

Lycopene is a red pigment that's also found in watermelons, papayas and pink grapefruit. Studies show that lycopene is a more powerful antioxidant than beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and vitamin E. And while cooking often saps fruits and vegetables of their nutrients, the exact opposite is true of lycopene. Two and a half times the lycopene is found in the body after eating tomato sauce than after eating fresh tomatoes.

Combine these facts with the simple reality that "conventional tomatoes are just awful," according to Burman, and it's no wonder she and her husband are such avid organic gardeners.

"Eating is one of the last legal pleasures," adds Wadsworth. "So you might as well enjoy it and have some control over what you eat."

FAVORITE TOMATO: Oxheart.

HOW TO PLANT: Well-drained soil amended with organic humus. Raised beds generally drain better, and are easier to work in. Use companion plants such as marigolds, nasturtiums or rosemary to keep insects away.

WHY ORGANIC IS BETTER: Better taste, no pesticides, more nutrients. Organic tomatoes have almost five times the calcium, three times the potassium and nearly 2,000 times the iron of commercially grown tomatoes.

FAVORITE TOMATO RECIPE:
2-3 organic tomatoes, diced
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 oz. fresh mozzarella
  cheese, cubed
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine ingredients.

2. Marinate at room temperature for
two hours.

3. Spoon over freshly cooked pasta.

4. "Enjoy," says the duo.