Highway Bush Berries May Fight Cancer

:Highway Bush Berries May Fight Cancer

@Body:WASHINGTON-Berries from plants usually placed near highways to fight erosion may contain a certain substance thought to prevent cancer. Autumn olives have shown to have high levels of lycopene-a substance previously thought to be only in tomatoes.

Autumn olives are edible look like a small cranberry. In some Asian countries, they are eaten as fruit. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have studied the plant and found that the berries contain as much as 18 times more lycopene than tomatoes.

This mysterious substance is classified in a group of chemicals called antioxidants. They are thought to attack certain free radial oxygen molecules, which are thought to trigger cancer. Lycopene has been shown to decrease rates of prostate and other cancers.

While autumn olives are often planted near highways, they thrive in poor soil and are a food source for animals.

Information from www.washingtonpost.com