Early research that showed the lycopene in tomatoes protected against prostate cancer has turned out to be wrong, researchers say. They describe the new research that disproved that tomatoes were a magic weapon in fighting prostate cancer as rigorous.

Saying that it would "be great" if tomatoes could protect against prostate cancer researcher Ulrike Peters, PhD, MPH, says that "would be a cheap and easy way to lower prostate cancer risk, and it would be a great public health message," according to WebMD. He added, "Unfortunately, it's not that easy."

The latest study involved 28,000 men between the ages of 55 and 74.

They found that tomato products such as tomatoes, and the tomato found in ketchup and pizza sauce don't lower prostate cancer risk.