Tomato---The secret of eternal youth

At this rate, scientists will have to come up with a better description for the tomato than mere 'superfood'.

While it has long been credited with cutting cholesterol and preventing some cancers, the fruit now appears to have two more healthgiving benefits.

Protection against sunburn and helping keep the skin looking youthful are the latest pluses, a study has found.

Professor Mark Birch-Machin said tomatoes could provide a cheap and easy way of improving health.

"I went into the study as a sceptic," he added. "But I was quite surprised with the significance of the findings."

Researchers at Manchester and Newcastle universities recommend two tomato-based meals a day for optimum health.

Possible menus include a glass of tomato juice with breakfast and a salad later or tomato soup for lunch and pasta with a tomato sauce for dinner.

To test the fruit's ability to protect the skin, ten volunteers were asked to eat five tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with olive oil every day for three months.

Another ten had a daily dose of olive oil - minus the tomato paste.

Tests using ultra-violet lamps showed the tomato-eaters were a third better protected against sunburn at the end of the study than at the start, the British Society for Investigative Dermatology's annual conference heard.

Other tests suggested the tomato-based diet had boosted production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin supple.

If that were not enough, the fruit also protects our mitochondria - the elements of cells which turn the food we eat into energy.

Professor Birch-Machin, of Newcastle University, said: "Being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect."

The researchers stressed, however, that their findings were not an excuse to throw away the suncream. Professor Lesley Rhodes, a Manchester University dermatologist, said: "People should not think tomatoes in any way can replace suncreams but they may be a good additive.

"If you can improve your protection through your diet then over several years this may have a significant effect."

She added: "These weren't huge amounts we were feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you could easily manage by eating a lot of tomato-based meals."

The fruit's benefits are credited to lycopene, the pigment behind its distinctive red skin.

Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant capable of mopping up free radicals - the harmful molecules linked to cancer - is made easier for the body to absorb when tomatoes are cooked or processed.

Lakers beat Nuggets 128-114 in playoff opener

Pau Gasol set NBA playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists and added 16 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers took command early in the third quarter and beat the Denver Nuggets 128-114 on Sunday.

Gasol, the Spaniard acquired from Memphis on Feb. 1 after spending 6 seasons with the Grizzlies, was winless in three previous postseason appearances.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets. Allen Iverson also had 30 points before picking up two technical fouls with 2:10 remaining, calling for immediate ejection. Linas Kleiza scored a career playoff high 23.

The Nuggets should have it known wasn't going to be their day when several players were stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway for about a half-hour when the team bus broke down on the way to the game.

Game 2 will be on Wednesday.

Bulls VS Taptors

Chicago Bulls forward Andres Nocioni (R) grabs a rebound in front of Toronto Raptors forward Kris Humphries in the second quarter of their NBA basketball game in Chicago April 16, 2008.

Rockers Coldplay will help you sleep

Britons like a dose of music from the rock band Coldplay to help them fall asleep, a survey from hotel chain Travelodge found on Monday.

The band, whose frontman Chris Martin says he avoids caffeine and alcohol and is known for a lifestyle that is anything but rock 'n' roll, topped a poll of music choices to help listeners nod off.

Other artists chosen for their slumber-inducing qualities were James Blunt, Snow Patrol, Take That and Norah Jones.

But those who prefer to be tucked in with a book at night judged celebrity autobiographies as the most effective sleep aid, with the life stories of glamour model Jordan, soccer star David Beckham and Sharon Osbourne ranking at the top.

The survey was carried out among 2,248 people.

The Massive almond cake unveiled

A group of 2,008 young people from Guangdong province and Hong Kong special administrative region have made a 155.2 kg almond cake in Zhongshan, Guangdong.

The cake has a diameter of 106.8 cm and stands 23.8 cm high.

The confection is thought to be the world's heaviest almond cake, a favorite snack in southern China.

They unveiled the cake last Monday to mark the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.