The late Doctor Michael Mosley said the breakfast could help fight cancer
After shedding an impressive 3 stone, Chef James Martin has spilled the beans on his go-to breakfast – and it’s good news for people who don’t like a pile of dishes after they cook as it only contains two ingredients. Calling it “simple and very tasty”, the beloved ITV Saturday Morning host took a flavourful detour to Spain, gathering inspiration for his latest cookbook, James Martin’s Spanish Adventure.”
According to Devon Live, while writing his new book, James Martin developed recipes “specifically created” with ingredients he discovered during his travels. Speaking to Hello!, the celebrity chef revealed his go-to breakfast: “Grilled tomatoes on toast.”
Tomatoes are classified as a fruit due to their seed-bearing structure. They are also among the most widely consumed fruits globally, hailed for their versatility and high nutritional content, including vitamin C, potassium, folate, and of course, he antioxidant, lycopene.
The late Doctor Michael Mosley, who died in June 2024, highlighted the surprising health benefits of tomatoes. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Just One Thing, a programme focused on the health advantages of everyday foods and habits, the doctor noted that tomatoes offer a range of lesser-known benefits.
When talking specifically about cooked tomatoes, Doctor Mosley, previously said: “Tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene that helps the body fight off “free radicals” – chemicals that attack and damage cells in the body.
“Lycopene is even more effective when tomatoes are cooked because the heat breaks down the fruit’s thick cell walls and makes the lycopene more accessible to the body.
“That means tomato sauce from fresh or tinned tomatoes, and even ketchup can actually provide more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. If you are cooking tomatoes, add some olive oil and your body will absorb more of the lycopene.”
He also revealed there has been “a number of experiments measuring the effects of tomato sauce and paste on prostate cancer, which, in the Western world, is the second biggest cause of death among men.” He also noted that research data suggests lycopene might benefit women with breast cancer.
He concluded: “Prof Richard van Breemen from Oregon State University first noted the potential of lycopene after reading research by male physicians: those who ate the most lycopene in the form of tomato sauce, tomato paste and fresh tomatoes had the lowest incidence of prostate cancer.
“In Prof van Breeman’s own experiments, a group of men at risk from prostate cancer ate pasta dishes with tomato sauce for three weeks. He saw lycopene levels in the blood and prostate increase and oxidative stress (damage to the cell and DNA that can lead to cancer) reduce.”