Men who consume at least 10 portions of tomatoes per week have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a new study.

It is estimated that 233,000 new cases and 29,480 deaths from prostate cancer will occur by the end of 2014 in the United States. It is the second most common cancer for men in the world.

Researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford analyzed the diets of 1,806 men between the ages of 50 and 69 years with prostate cancer, and compared them with the diets of 12,005 men who were cancer-free.

Led study researcher Vanessa Er, from the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol and Bristol Nutrition BRU, and colleagues developed what is known as the “dietary index,” which features dietary components that are associated with prostate cancer. In particular, men who consume a diet rise in selenium, calcium and lycopene had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Tomatoes in particular were found to be most beneficial, lowering the risk of prostate cancer in men by 18 percent when consuming more than 10 portions weekly.

“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,” said Er in a statement.

The findings of the study are published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.