Senology Newsletter

“I want to clarify that the goal of this study was not to explain the causes of breast cancer incidence among women who regularly consume tomatoes or otherwise, but rather to examine the effects of dietary interventions on hormone biomarkers known to be involved in obesity, inflammation and breast cancer, namelythe adipokines, adiponectin and leptin. We show that following the 10-week tomato-based dietary intervention, among all women, there was a significant increase in serum adiponectin levels, which was stronger among women who had a lower body mass index. This is important because adiponectin is a hormone known to play a role in regulating fat and sugar metabolism. It has also been shown that higher adiponectin levels are associated with reduced risk of breast cancer in prior observational studies. The take home message from our study's preliminary findings is that the beneficial effects of a diet high in lycopene on adiponectin may explain why tomatoes may be effective at reducing breast cancer risk”.
(Commentary on: Llanos AA et al.: "Effects of Tomato and Soy on Serum Adipokine Concentrations in Postmenopausal Women at Increased Breast Cancer Risk: A Cross-Over Dietary Intervention Trial ", J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jan 1; doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-3222 )