by Jennifer H
A group of scientists from the UK and other European nations created a genetically modified purple tomato. This tomato was tested on mice and showed that this tomato extended the life span of cancer-susceptible mice. Those mice who were tested and put on the diet of this new purple tomato extended their life span. The scientists who came up with this idea and experiment took genes from the snapdragon plant (Antirrhinum) and inserted them into tomato plants. This made the tomatoes high in anthocyanins. The reasoning for this is because anthocyanins are known to help protect against various cancers and diseases. The reason why the scientists picked the tomato was because the tomato naturally contains high levels of the antioxidant lycopene and flavonoids. Research is still unclear with how the outcomes will be for humans but this research looks somewhat promising.
This article was interesting because it showed the advanced research on fruits and other foods that could help humans battle various diseases and cancers. Although the public is less likely to buy a purple genetically modified tomato, there is great promise in the possibilities for future research. Most people fail to get their daily dose of fruits and vegetables each day and by genetically modifying all those doses into this one purple tomato maybe people will be more likely to reach their daily amount of healthy nutrients. There are many foods out there that can help decrease our risks of getting certain diseases, and hopefully this test will push that idea even further to make people more aware of the importance of fruits and vegetables in their diet.
