Tomato juice may help protect smokers against lung disease.

Japanese scientists have found that feeding mice with diluted tomato juice prevents them from developing emphysema when they are exposed to tobacco smoke.

Emphysema is one of the chief causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and particularly affects smokers.

Tomato juice was tested because it is known to be rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which has already had success in reducing the risk of prostate cancer in men.

The lycopene is thought to have prevented the tobacco smoke’s oxidant molecules from harming the mice’s lungs.

But the researchers at the Juntendo University School of Medicine in Tokyo said other properties in the tomato juice might have beneficial effects as well.

They are now keen to conduct the experiment with humans suffering with COPD.

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