Cypy Healthy

FDA rejected a supplement manufacturer's petition to be able to tout lycopene as a cancer-preventer. In the JNCI article, the FDA team published the review of the literature they conducted two years ago that led to their decision to deny the marketer's request.

The review's conclusion: there's not enough evidence to make any claims about tomatoes in general, and lycopene in particular.

This position echoes AICR's long-standing conviction that overall diet, not "superfoods" or supplements, is the key to lowering cancer risk.

"It's long been clear that loading up on any one food, or food supplement, is not supported by the research," said AICR Nutrition Advisor Karen Collins, RD. "The strongest evidence shows that diets high in a variety of different vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are associated with lower risk of developing cancer."