British researchers promoting the benefits of a new "purple tomato" have promised to conduct proper medical trials involving volunteers.
The Norfolk research team has inserted a snapdragon gene into the tomato to make it purple.
They say it also increases the level of healthy chemicals called "anthocyanins" found in fruits such as blackberry and cranberry.
The tomatoes have been developed at the John Innes Centre and details of the research are to be published in Nature Biotechnology.
Laboratory tests on mice have suggested they may help extend life.
A spokesman for the centre said: "Anthocyanins offer protection against certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and age-related degenerative diseases. There is evidence that anthocyanins also have anti-inflammatory activity, promote visual acuity and hinder obesity and diabetes."
Researcher Professor Cathie Martin pledged: "The next step will be to take the preclinical data forward to human studies with volunteers to see if we can promote health through dietary preventive medicine strategies."
She said: "Most people do not eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, but they can get more benefit from those they do eat if common fruit and veg can be developed that are higher in bioactive compounds."
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