New 'super tomatoes' can help fight cancer

Tomatoes which have been fortified with numerous vitamins and minerals are being branded as a new type of superfood.

British scientists have added selenium to normal tomatoes, a strong anti-oxidant which is naturally found in liver, Brazil nuts and shellfish.

They are now claiming the new superfood has a number of health benefits and can help to beat cancer as well as boost the immune system.

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The new super tomatoes are now being sold in the UK in the high street food and clothing store Marks and Spencer.

Food scientists believe UK diets are severely lacking key vitamins and minerals and they are now frequently working with selenium to try and incorporate it into ‘everyday’ foods.

“Selenium plays an important role in supporting the immune system, and it is thought that getting adequate selenium reduces our risk of cancer,” says Dr Carina Norris from the Nutrition Society.

“But many people in the UK don’t get enough from their diets – the latest data suggests the average person consumes well below the daily target of 60 micrograms for women and 75 for men."

She added: “To get a nutrient like selenium into a food that more or less everyone has to be a good thing.”

The tomatoes are just one of the products that Marks and Spencer has started to sell that have been specifically designed to boost the nation’s health.

The store has also introduced a range of juices, yoghurts and milk that have been enhanced with Vitamin D to help ward off health problems that are related to a lack of sunshine exposure.