A bowl of tomato soup every day can help boost male fertility

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They believe that lycopene, which gives tomatoes their bright red colouring, can turn sperm into supersperm.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth studied the effect of lycopene in the diet on a random group of six healthy men, with an average age of 42.

They were asked to consume a 400g tin of Heinz cream of tomato soup every day for two weeks.

Sperm samples taken from them over the duration of the study, the first of its kind, revealed a marked increase in levels of lycopene.

How this affects fertility needed further research but it is known that infertile men have lower levels of lycopene in their sperm.

It is thought the compound may mop up harmful chemicals in the body called free radicals which can play a part in infertility.

The researchers from the university's biomedical science department said further studies should be carried out to discover whether the same boost would be seen in infertile men.

Tomato products are already thought to lower a man's risk of prostate cancer because of the high concentration of lycopene.

The powerful antioxidant is better absorbed when tomatoes are processed, as in soup.

This is because lycopene is bound to the fruit's cell structure, and released by the processing.

The researchers, a team of five urology experts writing in the British Journal of Urology, said that during the two weeks when the volunteers consumed their daily can of soup levels of lycopene in their semen rose between seven and 12 per cent which was "significant".

Heinz spokesman Nigel Dickie said: "It's good to know that our tomato soup could boost your mojo and give guys extra oomph."

Around 2.6million men in Britain have a low sperm count and doctors have suggested in the past that changing to a healthier lifestyle can increase the chances of conceiving.