omato sauce, it seems, has a special chemical ingredient that can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

According to researchers at the universities of Montreal and Ottawa, Canada [Images], the chemical lycopene found in tomatoes has antioxidant properties that help reduce pancreatic cancer risk by almost a third if taken regularly.

The researchers claim that if lycopene is taken in a liquid form, chances of combatting the disease are better. They say the oil used in the ketchup enables faster absorption of antioxidants by the intestines.

If doctors are to be believed, the location of the pancreas inside the abdomen makes it difficult for them to spot the disease.

Even when symptoms like abdominal pain and weight loss appear, they are hardly noticed. As a result, few people survive more than one year after the diagnosis.

Although evidence suggests that daily intake of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of  ailment, the latest research that surveyed 462 cases of pancreatic cancer and did a comparative analysis of the eating habits of cancer patients with healthy people, has revealed that tomatoes have the power to prevent the particular type of cancer.

According to the Daily Mail, researchers also found that men who ate tomatoes and tomato products every day were 31 per cent less prone to the disease, while in women, the risk declined by nine per cent.