Genetically Modified Purple Tomato Helps Mice Resist Cancer
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27 October, 2008 01:12 GMT
With a little help from snapdragons, purple tomatoes may open a new chapter in the debate over genetically modified foods. Such products, often developed to improve crop yields by building in resistance to pests and disease, have been the center of controversy. Opponents point to uncertainty over how they might alter the environment, how they might affect food chains, and how they might differ nutritionally from their natural counterparts.
Proponents argue there is no basis for those fears. And, in fact, there may be great benefit to genetically engineering foods to benefit human health. In a recent study, scientists added two genes from the snapdragon flower to a tomato to produce a high concentration of anthocyanins. They found that among mice who were bred to be susceptible to cancer, those that were fed the tomatoes lived longer.
In addition to combating cancer, anthocyanins may be useful against heart disease, certain degenerative diseases, inflammation, obesity and diabetes.
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