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Eating tomatoes slashes the risk of prostate cancer by 18 percent, new research suggests.

Researcher from the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford compared the diets and lifestyle of 1,806 men aged between 50 and 69 with prostate cancer to 12,005 cancer-free men.

The study revealed that men who had optimal intake of selenium, calcium and foods rich in lycopene were significantly less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Researchers noted that tomatoes and its products like bake beans and tomato juice were the most beneficial when it comes to lowering prostate cancer risk. The study showed that men who consumed over 10 portions of tomato products a week were 18 percent less likely to develop the cancer.

Researchers explain that tomatoes help prevent cancer because it is rich with lycopene, an antioxidant that destroys DNA and cell-mutilating toxins.

"Our findings suggest that tomatoes may be important in prostate cancer prevention. However, further studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings, especially through human trials. Men should still eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and stay active," lead researcher Vanessa Er, from the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol and Bristol Nutrition BRU, said in a news release.

The findings were published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.