Many common foods destroy the anti-cancer effect of tomatoes

Researchers at Ohio State University found that eating certain tomato products, such as red sauce or salsa, neutralized the cancer's anti-cancer effect. Tomatoes contain a number of compounds that can help protect heart health and reduce the risk of cancer, but these same compounds can "go away" if the tomato product is eaten with an iron-rich food.

READ: Drinking unsalted tomato juice reduces cholesterol

Tomatoes contain many compounds, one of which is called lycopene, a carotenoid that gives the tomato its characteristic red color. Previous research has linked the consumption of lycopene to a number of potential health benefits, including decreased cholesterol, blood pressure, and cancer risk.

Eating tomatoes for their potential health benefits is a good thing … unless you eat them with many commonly available foods, rich in iron, that is to say. Researchers at Ohio State University found that the lycopene concentrations in the blood of participants who consumed a tomato extract shake were "significantly lower" if they also ate an iron supplement.

Iron, of course, is an indispensable complement; for this reason, many food products are enriched with nutrients, often including cereal grains used to make certain types of bread and pasta. Some non-fortified foods, often eaten with tomatoes, may also contain large amounts of iron, such as meat used for meatballs and spinach for salads.

Lycopene is also found in many other foods of plant origin, including red carrots, papayas and watermelons, although not all pink and red foods contain carotenoid. The study indicates that if you hope to take advantage of lycopene found in tomatoes, you should consume it with other foods low in iron.